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].
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PEN America Response to the Canceled Panel at Columbia University
We understand that in recent weeks event participants and organizers began to have serious reservations about the composition of the panel for the event, believing that it reflected an… More
Press Freedom Coalition Urges DOJ to Reject Guideline Proposals that Could Chill Journalists
“Journalists are facing unprecedented threats in this country for simply doing their job,” said Nora Benavidez, Director of U.S. Free Expression Programs at PEN America. More
Bitter Divisions over Free Speech on Campus Reflect the Fissures of a Polarized America, PEN America Report Argues
"Far from taking place in isolation behind ivy-covered walls, today’s campus free speech controversies are inextricable from the social and political upheaval of this historical moment.” More
Egyptian Blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah’s Release Requirements Compromise the Freedom He Deserves
"Alaa Abd El Fattah's release from prison is cause for celebration, but we must not forget that he never should have spent a moment in jail for engaging in… More
Writer, Activist, and 2019 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award Honoree Eman Al-Nafjan’s Release a Ray of Hope for Justice
"The PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award has for decades been a powerful tool to pry free courageous writers who take the greatest risks in order to express themselves. While… More
New Ukrainian Sanctions Against Russian Book Publishers and Internet Bookstores is a Brazen Attack on Intellectual Freedom
"These new sanctions violate Ukrainians' right to intellectual freedom, and seek to sever Ukraine from the global literary and academic community." More
Mexican Authorities Must Investigate Journalist Santiago Barroso Alfaro’s Brutal Murder
"The brutal death of Barroso Alfaro at the front door of his house represents the harshest of threats to press freedom. He is the fourth journalist to be killed in Mexico this year." More
Egyptian Government Suing Author Alaa al-Aswany Part of Mission to Harass and Silence Writers
“Al-Aswany is being accused merely because of his criticism of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. The government is blatantly pursuing a mission to harass writers and to censor voices reflecting the diversity and… More
Executive Order on “Free Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability” at Colleges Risks Chilling More Speech Than it Protects
"We are concerned that this Order is intended as a shot across the bow, putting researchers, faculty, and university administrators on notice that speech will now be monitored by the… More
Lawsuit filed by Representative Devin Nunes (R-CA) suing Twitter for defamation is an attempt to silence criticism, restrict online speech
"Nunes case is a ridiculous attempt to use the court system to hold social media platforms accountable for what is ultimately constitutionally-protected satirical speech." More