Research & Reports

  • A blueprint-style map of Florida with text: The Blueprint State: Lessons from Parents Left Behind by Parental Rights Policies in Florida on a blue grid background.
    U.S. Free ExpressionBanned BooksEducational CensorshipFlorida

    The Blueprint State

    A wave of education laws in Florida has had a detrimental impact on the state’s schools, chilling the climate for…

  • A digital illustration features the text “Treating Online Abuse Like Spam” above a funnel filtering various online symbols like shields, lightning bolts, chat bubbles, and spam warnings. PEN America and CR logos are displayed.
    Online Abuse & Digital Safety

    Treating Online Abuse Like Spam

    Social media platforms are not sufficiently investing in mechanisms that alleviate the harms of online hate and harassment.

  • A graphic showing the Bill of Rights being shredded in a meat grinder, with text: “A Five-Alarm Fire for Free Speech: The Trump Administration’s 100 Day Assault on Free Expression.”.
    U.S. Free Expression

    A Five-Alarm Fire for Free Speech

    No federal administration has moved as swiftly to exert broad new controls over what people can say, read, learn, research,…

  • Six people stand side by side in front of a blue, handwritten-text background. Bold text reads “Freedom to Write Index 2024.” Photo credits appear in small print at the bottom.
    Global Free ExpressionWriters at Risk

    Freedom to Write Index 2024

    The number of writers jailed reached a new high, with at least 375 behind bars in 40 countries during 2024,…

  • Collage titled Exploring How to Build Community-Level Resilience Against Disinformation with images of events in Texas, Florida, and Arizona. Each photo shows people gathered for discussions or presentations on the topic.
    Disinformation

    Exploring How to Build Community-Level Resilience Against Disinformation

    Disinformation, and the ability to counter it, is intertwined with factors including trust, polarization, economic conflict, social isolation, prejudice, and…

  • A stack of colorful books with visible titles, such as A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, lies in the bottom section. In the background, a chalkboard displays the text: Cover to Cover: An Analysis of Titles Banned in the 23-24 School Year.
    Banned BooksU.S. Free Expression

    Cover to Cover

    Introduction In the 2023-2024 school year, there were more than 10,000 instances of banned books in public schools, affecting more…

  • An art museum gallery with empty picture frames on the walls. A wooden bench sits on the wooden floor. Overlaid text reads, The Censorship Horizon: A Survey of Art Museum Directors.
    U.S. Free Expression

    The Censorship Horizon

    Introduction Art museums occupy a distinct space in the landscape of American cultural and educational institutions. According to a 2021…

  • A collection of book spines are fanned out at the bottom against a chalkboard background. The text reads: Banned in the USA 2023-2024 Beyond the Shelves.
    Banned BooksU.S. Free Expression

    Banned in the USA: Beyond the Shelves

    For the last three school years, PEN America has recorded instances of book bans in public schools nationwide. In that…

  • A collage featuring a red-tinted Capitol dome, Project 2025 text, and logos of NPR, VOA, PBS, and TikTok against a backdrop of newspapers. The image is divided diagonally with contrasting blue and red sections.
    U.S. Free Expression

    Project 2025

    What is Project 2025? Project 2025 is a set of policy proposals from the Heritage Foundation–a think-tank that describes its…

  • A graphic titled America’s Censored Classrooms 2024: Refining the Art of Censorship features a university building with words like Caution and LGBTQ+ Studies partially obscured by a peeling corner, symbolizing the pressing issue of censorship in educational spaces.
    Educational CensorshipU.S. Free Expression

    America’s Censored Classrooms 2024

    Since 2021, PEN America has tracked state-level educational censorship legislation in our Index of Educational Gag Orders. In this report,…

  • U.S. Free Expression

    Project 2025

    What is Project 2025? Project 2025 is a set of policy proposals from the Heritage Foundation–a think-tank that describes its…

  • Global Free Expression

    Freedom to Write Index 2023

    Introduction Authoritarian regimes instinctively understand the significant role that writers—and, by extension, free expression—play in promoting critical inquiry, fostering connections…