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 PEN America Report: Crackdown on Anti-Government Protests in Iran Swells the Number of Jailed Writers
“Iran’s creative community—long at the forefront of fighting for free expression and human rights—was singled out as part of a broader crackdown on dissent in 2022,” said Karin Deutsch… More
China Again the World’s Largest Jailer of Writers, with Free Expression Under Continued Assault
“Writers have faced the full might of the Chinese Communist Party’s security apparatus,” said Angeli Datt, who leads PEN America’s China research and advocacy. “They’ve been harassed, disappeared, detained,… More
PEN America Report: China & Iran Top List of the Worst Jailers, Abusers of Writers
“Writers have long been and continue to be some of the first victims and intended targets of repressive governments,” said Liesl Gerntholtz, director of the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write… More
PEN America Denounces Decision by Montana House to Bar Transgender Lawmaker from House Floor as a “Betrayal” of the Democratic Process
“This decision by the Montana House is deeply disturbing, especially on the heels of similar actions by the Tennessee legislature to expel lawmakers and silence protesterse,” said Kate Ruane,… More
Marking World Press Freedom Day May 1, PEN America Screens New Documentary and Talkback with Director-Journalist On Covering Besieged Mariupol
20 Days in Mariupol is the first feature-length documentary by AP reporter Mstyslav Chernov, an AP war correspondent and photographer for decades. He presents an unflinching account of the… More
PEN America Calls on China to Release Taiwan-based Publisher Li Yanhe
Li Yanhe had published books by Chinese dissidents and on subjects that otherwise would have been banned by Beijing. He has given Chinese-language readers access to different ideas and… More
PEN America Condemns Convictions of Asheville, NC Journalists Arrested for Filming Police Clearing of Encampment of Homeless People
(NEW YORK) – The arrests and convictions of two North Carolina journalists on trespassing charges for filming police as they cleared an encampment of homeless people sets a “dangerous… More
PEN America Reacts to the Passing of Artist-Activist Harry Belafonte
Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, made the following statement about the passing of Harry Belafonte: "Having had the privilege of collaborating with Harry Belafonte to advance human rights I… More
Local Journalists Join PEN America’s Arizona Chapter for Discussion on Trust in Media to Mark World Press Freedom Day May 3
“Meet the Media: A Celebration of World Press Freedom,” will be moderated by long-time Valley radio and television journalist Danielle Williams at 6:30-8 pm local time at Changing Hands… More
PEN America: Removal of Art Exhibit on Florida Campus Shows the State Again Exerting Control over Free Expression
In response to the removal, PEN America’s senior manager of free expression and education Kristen Shahverdian, said: “It’s disappointing to see yet another removal of art on a Florida… More