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Connections

Writers at risk: what to do when free expression is under threat

Two people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a woman at left has short brown hair and is wearing glasses, a grey cardigan and black shirt; a man at right has short dark hair and is wearing a navy hooded sweatshirt with white lettering.
Megan Mack
/
WXXI News
Karin Deutsch Karlekar with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Tuesday, December 2, 2025
WXXI News

We sit down with Karin Deutsch Karlekar of PEN America. The organization's Writers at Risk programs advocate for journalists, advocates, and academics who face threats around the world.

A recent crackdown on free speech has affected American writers and their work. We discuss the state of free speech and what organizations like PEN America are doing to help protect it.

In studio:

Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.