The PEN Pod: On NSO Group Accountability, Payroll Credit for Compensation of Local News Journalists, and Eliminating Facial Recognition Technology from Facebook
“People are unmoored in terms of where to get credible information, and local news really used to fill that void and be a kind of informational anchor for people.” More
PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel Testifies on Censorship and Free Speech Issues in China
“The regime’s determination to hunt down dissenters wherever they are instills a sense of fear from which there is no escape, even far beyond Saudi borders.” More
The PEN Pod: On Iran, Digital Sovereignty, and Divisive Topics on Campus
“[There’s a hypocrisy of] purporting to be a champion of free speech on campus. . . and at the same time, trying to pass a bill stating that certain… More
Myanmar’s Escalating Digital Repression—and Activists’ Digital Resistance
Since Myanmar’s military seized power on February 1, it has employed increasingly sophisticated digital modes of repression, alongside physical and legal measures, to try to stem democratic resistance. More
The PEN Pod: On Making a Safer Internet with Suzanne Nossel
“Things like disinformation, online harassment. . . people feel that they are worse because of the small number of platforms that control so much content.” More
Journalism and COVID-19: Remembering Anick Jesdanun
“Nick was a kind and gentle colleague who was deeply admired by everyone he worked with. He loved the AP and his work, and it showed every day.” More
The PEN Pod: Tough Questions with Suzanne Nossel
“We absolutely cannot let our guard down, and we’re in uncharted territory in terms of a president who is willing to flout the First Amendment.” More
The PEN Pod: Putting Tech Under the Microscope with Ainissa Ramirez
“Since so many things are being put underneath the microscope, I hope that technology, too, will be put there.” More
PEN America Condemns Shuttering of Chinese Activist’s Zoom Account
Zoom must immediately explain why it shut down Humanitarian China's account, reinstate the account, and reassure its users that it stands against government-imposed censorship. More
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Today, POMED and 19 other rights orgs sent an open letter to @SecBlinken and @JakeSullivan46 urging them not to provide $300 million in FY2021 military aid to #Egypt in light of the country's failure to meet human rights conditions.
https://pomed.org/joint-letter-biden-administration-should-not-provide-military-aid-to-egypt-in-light-of-egregious-human-rights-violations/
Our next #BookDefenders event, How to Effectively Fight Against Book Bans, is happening on Wed Aug 17th at 8pm ET featuring @alainaskeys from @diversebooks, @jzfriedman from @penamerica, Christine Emeran and more ! Sign-up now at https://secure.everyaction.com/Q3z2V7PtwUiwOUTvuWuQAA2
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"What’s important is to stand up for the children who don’t have any voices. Even if you’re not in a county like Walton County... we all have to... start speaking out. We can’t leave it to marginalized groups to speak out. We all have to speak out"—Illustrator Marla Frazee
