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.
New video tweet of Donald Trump is valorizing and modeling brutal physical attacks on journalists
NEW YORK—In response to President Trump's latest tweet depicting him attacking an individual whose head has been replaced by the CNN logo, PEN America Executive Director Suzanne Nossel released… More
Unlawful Association Charges Against Journalists Chill News Coverage in Myanmar
NEW YORK–The Myanmar authorities’ alarming decision to charge three journalists in Shan state with unlawful association for covering an event organized by an armed ethnic group risks chilling news… More
Groups Call on White House to Permit Press to Use Video and Audio of Daily Briefings
WASHINGTON—A coalition of press freedom groups today called on the White House to end the practice of periodically barring the use of video and live audio recordings of the… More
Vietnamese Blogger Mother Mushroom Sentenced to 10 Years’ Imprisonment
(NEW YORK)—Vietnam’s sentencing of the blogger known as “Mother Mushroom” to 10 years in prison after a one-day trial is yet another shocking example of Vietnamese authorities’ institutional assault… More
Librotraficante “Book Traffickers” Ensure Equal Access to Diverse Books in the Face of Discriminatory Arizona Law
Librotraficante is doing necessary work to ensure that the many voices, groups, and histories included in the American experience are fully represented and heard. More
Chinese Writer-Activist Liu Xiaobo Released on Medical Parole for Late-Stage Cancer
News that Chinese dissident writer and Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo is suffering from late-stage liver cancer and has been released from prison on medical grounds is a painful reminder… More
Denial of Asylum to Syrian Writer Radwan Ziadeh Creates Disincentive to Dialogue
NEW YORK—In response to reports today that Syrian writer Radwan Ziadeh had been denied political asylum in the United States as a result of organizing conferences with Syrian opposition… More
Russian Bill to Ban Online Anonymity Will Undermine Right to Peaceful Dissent
Anonymity and security on the internet are important for all netizens, but especially crucial for government critics, dissenters, and human rights advocates working under oppressive regimes. More
Pride Week Reading Honors Literary Legacy of AIDS Advocacy
NEW YORK—A sprawling crowd of LGBT writers, advocates, and allies joined PEN America at the new NYC AIDS Memorial on Thursday night to mark the first NYC Pride Week… More
MYANMAR: Defamation Charges for Journalists Chilling Online Speech
NEW YORK–The authorities’ decision to charge three journalists with online defamation is another chilling example of how the 2013 Telecommunications Law is used to curtail online speech in Myanmar,… More