Letter: Organizations Demand Prison E-Book Readers Drop Access Fees During COVID-19
TO: Dave Abel, President and CEO of Aventiv Technologies, Inc (parent company of Securus Technologies and JPay) Deborah Alderson, CEO of Global Tel Link (GTL) We, the undersigned, are a coalition of… More
Tennessee’s Parental Oversight of Public Libraries Act Would Censor Books, Jail Librarians
“This bill would empower a small group of people to act as morality police for entire communities and would punish libraries and librarians who act to safeguard the fundamental… More
Proposed Book Banning Bill in Missouri Could Imprison Librarians
(New York, NY) – A bill proposed in Missouri this month represents a transparent, shameful attempt to legalize book banning in public libraries within the state, PEN America said… More
PEN America: Kansas Prison Book Ban Repeats State’s Prior Mistakes
“Kansas’ decision to eliminate their banned books list seemed like something to celebrate. But this new list of banned books suggests a Pyrrhic victory." More
Pay-Per-Minute E-Readers in West Virginia Prisons Jeopardize Access to Literature
“If you want to demonstrate how misguided prison policies towards access to literature have become, this serves as a perfect example." More
PEN America Welcomes Ruling to Revise Book Restriction Policies in Arizona Prisons
"The ruling out of Arizona is a significant step forward for the First Amendment and for our fight for access to literature in sites of incarceration." More
PEN America Report Explores Pernicious Practice of Banning Books in Nation’s Prisons
"Literature offers a lifeline for incarcerated people in the midst of a dehumanizing system." More
As Part of National Banned Books Week, PEN America to Focus on the Right to Read in the Nation’s Prisons
“With all of our societal focus on how to make the criminal justice system more just and less self-defeating, vindicating the right to read in prison is an obvious… More
Banned Books Week: Book Challenges May Deprive Students of Critical Life Lessons
Censorship in schools and libraries is more prevalent than you think, says new report NEW YORK—A persistent pattern of attempts to remove certain books from public schools and libraries, combined… More
Schools continue to grapple with ‘Huckleberry Finn’
After The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published in 1885, the book was boycotted in some places in the United States for portraying friendship between a black man and… More
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The next 10+ days will be challenging for reporters & newsrooms. Our coalition — Am. Press Institute, Election SOS, First Draft, Hearken, PEN America, Protect Democracy & Trusting News — culled resources to help keep you safe & w/ tips on covering unrest. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1usjFsWq7hF49XmQ38bIE8ycY3nT-ZbV_B7M_DZH3ALU/mobilebasic
For anyone covering civil unrest and whatever the news cycle might bring next week, here’s a two-pager of resources from a coalition of journalism support orgs. Stay safe, everyone. https://bit.ly/inauguration-2pager
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Is it right for Twitter to shut down 70,000 QAnon-related accounts? What about Facebook blocking #StopTheSteal? Check out PEN America's take on these questions & more in this guide of FAQs on free speech issues raised by the insurrection on Capitol Hill: https://bit.ly/38CjOnz.