NEW YORK—In response to reports that President Trump has barred four journalists from covering U.S.-North Korea summit events in retaliation for their earlier questions, PEN America Director of U.S. Free Expression Programs Nora Benavidez released the following statement:
“It is deeply disturbing to see the President of the United States restrict journalists’ access in a retaliatory manner in front of a dictator who leads the most restrictive country on earth. With this move, the White House has yet again demonstrated precisely the pattern of retaliation PEN America cited in filing its recent lawsuit against the president for his retaliatory tactics to suppress reporters from doing their job, especially when it might seem to portray him in ways he dislikes. This summit with North Korea should have been an opportunity for the president to lift up what makes democracy special. Instead, this attempt to silence American journalists seeking to cover this historic event demonstrates the president’s inclinations to use his power to limit constitutional freedoms, rather than protect them.”
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PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open 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. pen.org
CONTACT: Anoosh Gasparian, External Relations Manager: [email protected]