Reports on Free Speech
Throughout March 2023, members of TPF's advocacy team worked on reports detailing the state of freedom of expression in their schools and local communities. With book bannings becoming increasingly common across the nation, it becomes all the more important for students to speak out about free speech in their schools.
Want to write your own report?
Nicole Wang
Rahul Raman
POETRY BY THE MOON
Jan. 26, 4-6 p.m. — SoHo, NYC
TPF's second annual Poetry by the Moon event will highlight the works of imprisoned poets with poetry readings by TPF members.
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Voter pre-registration/registration is strongly requested before coming to the event for those ages 16+
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Get involved!​
On June 25, the Advocacy Team published a report on the state of social media, called, "Our Digital Soapbox: Social Media Regulation and the Future of Press Freedom."
Meant for high school students, it contains calls for
specific legislation and personal accounts of
experiences with social media.
The Local Journalism Sustainability Act was introduced in 2021 by Representative Ann Kirkpatrick [D-AZ]. If passed, the LJSA would help local newspapers via three tax credits and incentives.
The News Subscription Credit is a tax incentive for Americans who subscribe to local newspapers; the Local News Journalist Compensation Credit gives community publications tax credit for employing reporters full-time; the Local Newspaper and Local Media Advertising Credit provides a tax credit to small businesses who advertise in local newspapers. Recently, the Local News Journalist Compensation Credit was included in the Build Back Better Act.
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Your support matters.
Tell your representatives you care.
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Sign our petition to encourage lawmakers to pass this important piece of legislation.
What Is the Global Press Freedom Act?
The Global Press Freedom Act [S.204] was recently reintroduced in the new 117th Congress by Senator Brian Schatz [D-HI]. It is a bipartisan initiative, cosponored by Senator Todd Young [R-IN]. If passed, the act would create an Ambassador-at-Large for Global Press Freedom who would oversee a new Office of Press Freedom responsible for protecting the press at home and abroad. The bill would also require enhanced training for State Department officials on free expression issues, promoting media independence, and protecting foreign journalists. Click here to read the bill.
“Senator Schatz’s initiative is an important step forward in reaffirming our nation’s commitment to a global free press—a fundamental safeguard and building block of any democracy. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated an already disturbing trend of assaults by too many governments on journalists and free expression more broadly. The bill, when enacted, will not only bring these injustices to light, but will serve as a global accountability measure to ensure our continued support for journalists, reporters, and the broader news and media community. Heightened efforts by the State Department to address these challenges could come at no better time”
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- Thomas O. Melia, director of PEN America’s Washington D.C. office.
Help Us Pass the GPFA.
Join our Letter Writing Campaign! To pass the Global Press Freedom Act, we need to get other senators on board and a House member to introduce it. We're writing letters to representatives across the country, urging them to sponsor the Global Press Freedom Act. We've compiled templates and instructions.
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Write to your reps now:
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“Our democracy depends on the ability of journalists to ask tough questions, dig for the truth, and report what they find — without fear of violence or persecution. Freedom of the press is a priority in our founding documents, so it must be a cornerstone of our foreign policy. Our new bill reasserts our commitment to a free press at home and abroad, empowering the State Department to engage with these issues diplomatically on the world stage.”
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- Senator Brian Schatz [D-HI]
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“Freedom of the press is essential to democracy, good governance, and holding those in power accountable. This principle was enshrined in our founding documents for that reason. Because our values do not stop at our border, I am proud of this new proposal that will empower our diplomats to support a free press around the globe.”
- Senator Todd Young [R-IN]
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Letter Writing in Central Park
Global Press Freedom Act
GPFA Letter Writing Event
Letter Writing
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