Press Releases
PEN America experts are available for interviews with the press. Please direct inquiries to Suzanne Trimel, Senior Advisor, Communications and Media, at [email protected].
At a time of unprecedented attacks against the free press, PEN America Members are taking action. Join us today.
PEN America Condemns U.S. Decision to Bar Entry to Austrian Academic
"The Department of Homeland Security needs to explain immediately why Thomas Schmidinger was blocked from traveling to the U.S." More
California Gig Worker Bill May Have Unintended Consequences for Press Freedom
"Absent amendment to allow freelancers the flexibility to opt out of the law’s classification, the bill actually stymies opportunity for those who might otherwise benefit from working on a… 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
Ukrainian Journalist Roman Sushchenko Released from Russian Prison
“Russia’s security services falsely painted Sushchenko as an intelligence plant, a spurious accusation they have repeatedly lodged against reporters who refuse to accept the Kremlin’s party line." More
Resignation of University of Alabama Dean Over Tweets Threatens Free Speech
“It is difficult to see Dr. Riley’s ‘resignation by mutual agreement’ as anything other than a punitive outcome occasioned by the content of his speech." More
FEC Chair to Host Symposium on Digital Disinformation and the Threat to Democracy
The daylong symposium – hosted by FEC Chair Ellen Weintraub, PEN America, and Stanford’s Global Digital Policy Incubator – is designed to frame and understand the risks and challenges… More
Ukrainian Filmmaker Oleg Sentsov Released After More Than Five Years in Russian Prison
“We are jubilant that Oleg is finally free to reunite with his beloved children and to speak his mind.’ More
PEN America to Participate in First-Ever LA Press Freedom Week
"The public is only aware of the horrific treatment of migrants because reporters have put their careers, and sometimes their lives, on the line to cover these stories." More
Cameroonian Rapper and Activist to Appear Before Court, Could Face Death Penalty
"This is clearly a targeted attempt to silence an internationally known and beloved rapper who strives, both through his music and his activism, to critique the government and inspire… More
Hong Kong Drops Extradition Bill But Must Now Investigate Alleged Abuses
"Hong Kongers should feel free to protest without the fear of police abuse or being tarred as criminals.”" More