PEN America

Articles by PEN America

Russia puts best-selling author Boris Akunin on wanted list

UK-based Akunin was placed on the “foreign agents” list in January due to his opposition to Russia’s war in Ukraine. A criminal case has been opened against him for “justifying terrorism” and spreading “fake news” to discredit the Russian armed forces.

Shouting into the void: Why reporting abuse to social media platforms is so hard and how to fix it

For journalists, writers, and creators who rely on having an online presence to make a living and make their voices heard, the situation is even worse – especially if they belong to groups already marginalized for their actual or perceived identity.

Band of bestselling authors stand against book bans in Florida and in the rest of the United States

Author Michael Connelly spearheads drive to expand PEN America’s work combatting school censorship together with other 23 authors.

New PEN America report warns against canceling books due to outrage

PEN America warns that social media blowback and societal outrage are imposing new moral litmus tests on books and authors, chilling literary expression and fueling a dangerous trend of self-censorship that is shrinking writers’ creative freedom and imagination.

Jordan: Ban on satirical news site “Al Hudood” must be lifted

“Blocking a website that publishes satire shows intolerance toward criticism that is troubling.”

Venezuelan Yarani Acosta, 23, shows her mobile phone with the complaint she made public through social networks about her case of sexual abuse, while speaking during an interview in Caracas, Venezuela on 14 May 2021. YURI CORTEZ/AFP via Getty Images

Social media giants failing to adequately address online abuse

New report exposes a “deeply flawed” reporting system and outlines a series of product design fixes that would help make reporting abuse online more transparent, efficient, equitable, and effective.

PEN America calls on China to release Taiwan-based publisher Li Yanhe

Li Yanhe published books by Chinese dissidents and translated Western authors.

PEN America: “This escalating battle for control over free expression in education should worry us all”

“The wording of these gag orders is deliberately vague, casting a willful chill on a wide swath of speech as faculty and administrators struggle to understand where the lines are drawn.”