(WASHINGTON)—PEN America issued the following statement in response to Florida’s child welfare agency, the Department of Children and Families, sending a “cease and desist” letter to the Orlando Sentinel newspaper. The letter seeks to stop the news organization from reporting on a story about a nonprofit associated with Gov. Ron DeSantis’s wife that is the subject of an open state criminal investigation.
“This is a textbook case of prior restraint: an unconstitutional attempt by the state of Florida to stop news reporting before a story is published. Using legal threats to attempt to chill journalists into silence, Florida’s Department of Children and Families seems more interested in silencing scrutiny than protecting the families it’s supposed to help,” said Tim Richardson, journalism and disinformation program director at PEN America. “The state can’t alter or preempt the outcome of independent news reporting. We stand with the Orlando Sentinel and look forward to reading their accountability journalism once their reporting is published. Government attempts to intimidate a free press only underscore the importance of the work.”
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], (201) 247-5057