Exiled Writers Reflect on Freedom of Speech in America in Light of Rushdie Attack

For dissident writers fleeing persecution overseas, the United States has long been a safe haven, a place where freedom of expression is tolerated and, even, valued. That suddenly changed earlier this month, with the brutal attack on author Salman Rushdie at a speaking event in western New York.

While literary writers in the U.S. increasingly face online threats, they rarely metastasize into actual physical attacks, said Karin Deutsch Karlekar, who directs the Writers at Risk program at PEN America. Authors routinely make public appearances with little or no security. “Many of us who joined this field grew up being sort of galvanized by [Rushdie’s] case and what had happened to him," Karlekar said. "And in the decades, since he has really been this sort of stalwart defender of free expression for other writers at risk."

Listen to this week’s episode of The xxxxxx, in which Summer Lopez, chief program officer of free expression at PEN America, discusses the state of free expression in America and around the world—from the assault on Salman Rushdie, to ongoing efforts to pressure libraries to remove books across the country, to foreign oppression of writers and thinkers. 

Opinion: School speech crackdowns hurt teachers—and democracy
As children return to school, educators are grappling with confusing new policies and proposals to restrict speech in educational settings. PEN America’s new report demonstrates how educational gag orders—legislation that limits discussion or teaching in schools and colleges—have become far more common across the country. See PEN America’s statement on an Oklahoma State Board of Education decision to punish two school districts for alleged violations of a bill signed last year that unconstitutionally restricts the teaching of race and gender. Read PEN America senior manager of free expression and education Jeremy Young’s latest op-ed on educational gag orders in Tennessee. 
THE WASHINGTON POST

Google finds “inoculating” people against misinformation helps blunt its power
Researchers have found that psychologically “inoculating” internet users against lies and conspiracy theories—by preemptively showing them videos about the tactics behind misinformation—made people more skeptical of falsehoods afterward. 
THE NEW YORK TIMES

Ex-Twitter exec blows the whistle, alleging reckless and negligent cybersecurity policies
Twitter has major security problems that pose a threat to its own users’ personal information, to company shareholders, to national security, and to democracy, according to an explosive whistleblower disclosure. It also alleges that some of the company’s senior-most executives have been trying to cover up Twitter’s serious vulnerabilities, and that one or more current employees may be working for a foreign intelligence service.
CNN

Indian billionaire seeks to control NDTV
Indian billionaire Gautam Adani's conglomerate on Tuesday said it seeks to control a majority stake in the popular New Delhi Television, a move the TV news group said was executed without its consent.
REUTERS

Chinese censors change ending of latest "Minions" movie
Censors have altered the ending of the recent animated film Minions: The Rise of Gru for its domestic release in China, social media users across the country noticed over the weekend. The editing is yet another example of Chinese authorities editing a popular Hollywood film to make it more politically correct, leading some viewers to lament the changes. See PEN America’s report, Made in Hollywood, Censored by Beijing. 
REUTERS

Mexico: Journalist in Guerrero becomes 15th media worker killed in 2022
A local journalist who ran an online news program has been shot to death in southern Mexico, making him the 15th media worker killed so far this year nationwide.
THE GUARDIAN

Spotlight: Tsitsi Dangarembga

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