TikTok “Permanently Suspends” the ‘Musk’ Film Ad Account, Raising Suppression Fears (Exclusive); The Hollywood Reporter, October 17, 2026

Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter ; TikTok “Permanently Suspends” the ‘Musk’ Film Ad Account, Raising Suppression Fears (Exclusive)

Move comes just as Alex Gibney doc film expands to nearly 500 screens. Distributor Bleecker Street says it is appealing.

"TikTok has banned the Musk film advertising account, citing a repeated pattern of political content that violates its policies. The move, which comes just as the Alex Gibney’s investigation into Elon Musk expands to more than 470 screens across North America, raises concerns about Big Tech suppression that the very film seeks to expose.

Distributor Bleecker Street was informed Friday afternoon a “permanent suspension” was coming regarding any ads it tried to buy, and the company was unable to do so shortly after. The native unpaid TikTok account, which generally allows more leeway on so-called political content, remains active, though Bleecker Street is not allowed to pay to boost its content, as many companies traditionally do. 

A spokesperson for the distributor confirmed that TikTok reps had informed them of the suspension and noted “disappointment” in the timing. After grossing $70,000 in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles in its first weekend of release, Musk is now playing in dozens of cities this weekend. The spokesperson said the company is in the process of appealing the move; even a reversal, however, could still prove costly if it doesn’t come during a weekend window when many people are likely to see the film."

Zuckerberg’s Meta Takes Down No Kings Instagram During Massive Protest Day; MeidasTouch, October 17, 2026

Brett Meiselas, MedaisTouch ; Zuckerberg’s Meta Takes Down No Kings Instagram During Massive Protest Day

The protest coalition says Meta suspended its Instagram account for 90 minutes at the height of nationwide demonstrations—and even after restoring the page, locked organizers out of posting. Meta reportedly admitted it made a “bad call.”

[Kip Currier: Again, as stated previously here, this story about Meta allegedly restricting coverage of No Kings Day protests, if acccurate, is indicative of the anti-democratic impacts that are arguably evident from media consolidation in the hands of a coterie of tech billionaires:

• Larry and David Ellison and Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss have chilled free expression by CBS's 60 Minutes and the CBS Evening News.
• Elon Musk has curtailed free speech on Twitter-cum-X and capriciously decides when nations like Ukraine have access to Starlink satellites.
• Jeff Bezos has exercised editorial interference with the Washington Post on endorsement of political candidates and publication of editorial cartoons.
• TikTok has "permanently suspended" an ad account for Alex Gibney's documentary film about Elon Musk.]

"Meta suspended the No Kings coalition’s Instagram account for approximately 90 minutes during nationwide protests.

Although Meta restored the account, organizers said administrators remained locked out and unable to post.

The coalition demanded answers, raising concerns about technology platforms’ influence over political organizing and speech."

'The Librarians' screening set for Oshkosh library Oct. 23; Oshkosh Northwestern, October 12, 2026

Nida Tazeen, Oshkosh Northwestern; 'The Librarians' screening set for Oshkosh library Oct. 23

"Oshkosh residents can watch a documentary about intellectual freedom and library censorship during a community screening at the Oshkosh Public Library on Oct. 23."

Book bans are surging. So are efforts to ‘let books be’; The University of Chicago, October 6, 2026

Tori Lee , The University of Chicago; Book bans are surging. So are efforts to ‘let books be’

"What are the most common reasons why books are banned or challenged? 

Surges in book bans often follow major periods of social change and political instability. For instance, the spike in book bans in the early 2020s heavily targeted narratives around race and systemic racism in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement. We've also seen a surge in book banning concerning LGBTQIA+ representation and identities at a time when openness to issues of sexual identity and gender is broadening. 

These campaigns are frequently driven by traditional power bases anxious about demographic and cultural shifts. Research shows that book bans spike heavily in politically contested counties and during election cycles. Lawmakers and political candidates frequently use book bans as a symbolic political action to mobilize voters." 

Nearly 12,000 School Book Bans Nationwide in 2025-2026—Biggest Number in a Single Year; PEN America, October 5, 2026

PEN America; Nearly 12,000 School Book Bans Nationwide in 2025-2026—Biggest Number in a Single Year

"PEN America today reported nearly 12,000 book bans in public schools nationwide during the 2025-2026 school year—the largest number in a single year. New state censorship laws accounted for much of the increase, coupled with the use of artificial intelligence to remove books en masse including popular manga series and other graphic novels.

In a report released to coincide with Banned Books Week, the latest accounting of book bans increased to 34,000 instances since PEN America began documenting the spreading book censorship crisis in schools in 2021. 

Texas recorded the largest number of book bans during the 2025-2026 school year (over 8,100), surpassing Florida (over 3,200), due to the impact of a censorial Texas law, SB13, which bans broad categories of books in schools. Florida had been No. 1 for three consecutive years.

The writers and free expression organization also reported a record number of unique titles banned in the last school year—more than 7,000—which impacted more than 4,000 authors, illustrators and translators, also a record number. In addition, researchers identified 114 school districts that had banned books over the year, the highest number ever for a single year according to PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans.

Patricia McCormick’s 2006 award-winning young adult novel Sold, which tells the fictional story of a teenager from Nepal who is sold into sexual slavery, was No. 1 among the most frequently banned books during the school year. The most banned author for the second year in a row was Stephen King."

Seattle library’s program challenging banned books tops 1 million teen e-book checkouts; KOMO, October 1, 2026

KOMO News Staff , KOMO; Seattle library’s program challenging banned books tops 1 million teen e-book checkouts

"With Banned Books Week 2026 (Oct. 4-10) approaching, the Seattle Public Library’s Books Unbanned program has passed a major milestone: more than 1 million e-book checkouts by teens and young adults.

The library said young people from all 50 states have checked out 1.1 million e-books and e-audiobooks since the program launched in 2023. 

The Books Unbanned e-card is available to anyone ages 13 to 26 anywhere in the United States outside of the library’s service area, and the program is funded entirely by donors to The Seattle Public Library Foundation.

Donors have invested nearly $900,000 since 2023 to sustain and grow the program, according to the library and foundation. The funding comes as public libraries across the country face rising book challenges and, in some places, reduced support."

New State List Underscores Astonishing State of Book Bans Across Florida; PEN America, September 10, 2026

PEN America; New State List Underscores Astonishing State of Book Bans Across Florida

"The Florida Department of Education’s annual report of books and materials removed, restricted, or discontinued by school districts for the 2025–2026 school year underscores the astonishing state of book banning across Florida, PEN America and Florida Freedom to Read said today. 

The Department’s annual report details more than 600 instances of censorship across 10 districts in the last school year, demonstrating that concerns about book banning in the state are not exaggerated. The list includes acclaimed and widely taught works by authors including Judy Blume, Carl Hiaasen, Mildred D. Taylor, Jacqueline Woodson, Angie Thomas, Elizabeth Acevedo, Laurie Halse Anderson, and many others. 

The two organizations are urging Florida school districts not to treat the department’s list as a de facto statewide blacklist.

“This list is indisputable evidence of the continuing threat that book banning poses to the freedom to read in Florida,” said William Johnson, director of PEN America’s Florida office. “But we can’t allow this rampant book censorship to continue. A book’s removal in one Florida county should not become a license to ban it in the other 66. When the state circulates a list of removed and restricted books for districts to consider, districts must resist the urge to capitulate and copy what each other is banning.”

“When the state takes one parent’s objection, turns it into a statewide model, and pressures districts to follow it without regard for local input, it takes the decision out of the hands of the parents, educators, and school boards who know their communities best. Each school district should evaluate materials independently, transparently, and in full context, with decisions guided by professional educators and librarians and informed by the needs of students and families who live there,” said Stephana Ferrell of Florida Freedom to Read Project

Under Florida law, school districts must report all objections to instructional and library materials and the outcomes of those objections to the Florida Department of Education at the end of every school year. The Department then compiles the decisions to remove, restrict, or discontinue and distributes the list to every Florida school district “for consideration” when districts select materials for students. As a result, a decision to remove a book in one Florida community does not necessarily stay local, as it can influence book removals hundreds of miles away. For example, Escambia County’s lengthy list of removals and restrictions for the 2025–26 school year shows how this can play out. Rather than allowing local review committees to consider objections, the district has aligned its library catalog with removal decisions published on previous state lists. 

Florida’s statewide system gives individual objections to books extraordinary reach. National research has already demonstrated how a small number of people can drive large numbers of book challenges. A 2023 Washington Post investigation of more than 1,000 school book challenges found that just 11 people were responsible for 60 percent of the challenges examined. Florida’s statewide list risks magnifying that dynamic by turning individual removal decisions into warnings for every school district in the state.

As PEN America has previously explained, the Department’s report does not fully capture censorship in Florida schools. The list can exclude books pulled for internal review or otherwise restricted, as well as critical context about local review decisions, including when committees vote to retain books but district leaders remove them anyway. The report also omits challenges that result in books remaining available. Providing this context would help districts make more informed decisions when considering the state’s list."

Judge Blocks Trump’s White House Ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico; The New York Times, September 23, 2026

Erik Wemple, The New York Times ; Judge Blocks Trump’s White House Ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico

Judge Timothy J. Kelly issued a temporary restraining order and told the White House to immediately restore the press credentials for the employees of the three news outlets.

"A federal judge on Thursday said that President Trump’s order barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House was likely unconstitutional and ordered the administration to restore access to the three news outlets.

Judge Timothy J. Kelly of the U.S. District Court in Washington granted a 14-day restraining order and told the White House to “immediately return, reinstate, and restore” the press credentials held by employees of the three outlets.

The news organizations were likely to succeed in their claim that the White House had violated their constitutional due process rights by revoking their press credentials without advance notice or an opportunity to respond, Judge Kelly wrote in the order issued in the early hours of Thursday.

He also rejected, for now, the administration’s argument that revoking the outlets’ press credentials was necessary to protect national security."

Read the Lawsuit From CNN, MS NOW and Politico; The New York Times, September 21, 2026

The New York Times; Read the Lawsuit From CNN, MS NOW and Politico

"The three media companies sued President Trump’s administration, saying Trump’s decision to bar them from the White House grounds was a violation of their First Amendment rights."

No more book bans: how Florida students are pushing rightwingers out of school boards; The Guardian, September 18, 2026

 Anna North, The Guardian; No more book bans: how Florida students are pushing rightwingers out of school boards

Local communities are fighting back against the influence of conservative groups like Moms for Liberty in education

"By channeling anger against mask mandates in schools, the rightwing group Moms for Liberty, founded in Florida, built an outsized influence on school boards across the country in 2022. Soon, members began pressuring schools to remake their curricula along conservative ideological lines, erasing mentions of LGBTQ+ Americans, slavery, racism and more.

As a Black dad living in a historically Black part of Sarasota, Glover said he was especially disturbed by governor Ron DeSantis’s announcement that Florida schools would begin teaching students that some Black people benefited from slavery. “Now my children and the students in my community weren’t going to be learning about the true history of this country,” Glover said.

So the father of four decided to run for Sarasota’s school board this year. He is part of a larger movement of students, parents, teachers and concerned community members pushing back against the influence of groups like Moms for Liberty in Florida public education. They wanted schools that were safe and welcoming for all students, and that focused on learning rather than scoring points on the national political scene.

And last month, they won."

Documentary Review: “The Librarians” puts the human cost of book banning on screen; The Cascadia Advocate, September 13, 2026

Alex Fiedler, The Cascadia Advocate; Documentary Review: “The Librarians” puts the human cost of book banning on screen

The ninety-two minute film directed and produced by Kim A. Snyder, which is free to stream, is most compelling when it focuses on the librarians, parents, and students caught in the struggle over censorship.

"The Librarians covers a big flash point of today’s “culture wars”: the school library...

The Librarians makes a compelling case, typically through implication or through the voices of librarians, concerned parents, and students, that their actual motives lie in hiding ideas and perspectives they oppose from their children...

The Librarians makes its impassioned case with the aid of interview footage, video recordings of school board meetings, and clips from conservative media. Occasionally interspersed are excerpts from films and historical footage, making an emotional appeal for the enduring power of literature and the dangers of censorship...

The Librarians is available to stream for free on Kanopy and pbs.org."

Trump administration moving ahead with signs outside Smithsonian museum; The Washington Post; September 16, 2026

Jonathan Edwards

 and 

Elahe Izadi

, The Washington Post; Trump administration moving ahead with signs outside Smithsonian museum

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said about a dozen signs would be installed outside the National Museum of American History warning of curators’ “personal viewpoints.”

"The Trump administration is moving ahead with plans to comply with President Donald Trump’s order to install signs outside the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History that would warn visitors about what the White House has called ideological bias in the institution’s presentation of the nation’s past.

The Interior Department is preparing about a dozen signs, expected to cost roughly $7,000 apiece, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum disclosed in a Sept. 3 letter to Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over Smithsonian funding. Burgum said the signs, which he described as temporary, have not yet been finalized...

The planned signs are one piece of a broader campaign by the Trump administration to reshape how the Smithsonian presents American history, an effort that has intensified in recent months through executive orders, reviews of museum exhibits and threats to withhold some forms of federal support from the institution...

Trump ordered the signs after the White House issued a 162-page report on July 4 accusing the American History Museum and its director, Anthea Hartig, of promoting “extreme political activism.” The report, which rattled Smithsonian employees, scrutinized current and former exhibits and drew extensively from public comments by Hartig and other Smithsonian officials."

Fired librarian Patty Hector gets payday from Saline County; Arkansas Times, August 28, 2026

 Byron Tate, Arkansas Times; Fired librarian Patty Hector gets payday from Saline County 

"Patty Hector, the Saline County librarian — eventually the fired Saline County librarian — who wouldn’t bend the knee to Republican demands to hide books they didn’t like, came out $275,000 to the good in a lawsuit she filed against the county.

In October 2023, after months of controversy and harassment over the placement of books on gender and race, Hector was fired by Saline County Judge Matt Brumley after the all-Republican Quorum Court stripped the power to hire and fire library directors from the county’s Library Board, which had declined to take action, and gave it to the county judge.

The American Civil Liberties Union took up her case in February 2025, filing a federal lawsuit against the county, alleging Hector’s First Amendment rights had been trampled when she was retaliated against because of her public stance against the censorship efforts."

Washington Post Ordered to Rehire Fired Columnist; The New York Times, August 24, 2026

 Benjamin Mullin, The New York Times; Washington Post Ordered to Rehire Fired Columnist

"A private arbitrator has ordered The Washington Post to rehire the opinion columnist Karen Attiah, who was fired in September over her social media posts about the assassination of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk. It also ordered the company to compensate her with back pay.

Sarah Miller Espinosa, the arbitrator, said in a written decision Thursday that The Post “did not have good and sufficient cause” to terminate Ms. Attiah and “violated” its labor agreement, according to a copy of the decision shared with The New York Times by Ms. Attiah’s lawyers.

“The Washington Post failed to establish the grievant engaged in gross misconduct,” Ms. Espinosa wrote.

In a statement, Ms. Attiah said that she hoped the decision “sends a message to journalists and media institutions everywhere that freedom of expression is always worth fighting for.” She said that she was “willing to go back” to her work at The Post, which she called “one of the world’s most storied newspapers.”"

Pentagon Fires Editor and Publisher of Independent Military Publication; The New York Times, August 21, 2026

Minho Kim, The New York Times; Pentagon Fires Editor and Publisher of Independent Military Publication

The firings at Stars and Stripes also claimed a Middle East correspondent. They are the latest effort by the Pentagon to diminish the news outlet’s editorial independence.

"The Defense Department on Friday fired the publisher and the editor in chief of Stars and Stripes, a government-funded news outlet that reports on the U.S. military, according to a senior Pentagon official and the dismissed journalists.

The firings raised questions about the Pentagon’s willingness to ensure the editorial integrity of the publication that has reported extensively on difficulties faced by military communities as the war in Iran has dragged on. The terminations came about 10 days after Stars and Stripes journalists reported on hardships that Navy sailors were facing on the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, the aircraft carrier whose deployment was extended to nine months amid the war.

On Friday, the Pentagon sent termination notices to Erik Slavin, the editor in chief, and Max Lederer, the publisher, who had announced his retirement earlier this week, citing conflict with the Pentagon leadership on the paper’s direction. Lara Korte, a Middle East correspondent at the news outlet, was also fired on Friday, according to the official and a post she made on social media.

The Defense Department declined to comment. Capt. William Urban, the military deputy to the publisher who was brought to the role earlier this month, said in a letter published on Friday that his priority was to ensure “the highest quality of editorially independent reporting” at Stars and Stripes. Captain Urban had previously served as a senior spokesman for the Defense Department in various roles."

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick proposes penalties for schools that keep “vulgar” books on library shelves; The Texas Tribune, August 19, 2026

ALEJANDRO SERRANO , The Texas Tribune; Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick proposes penalties for schools that keep “vulgar” books on library shelves

"Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Wednesday vowed to pass legislation punishing public schools that do not remove graphic books from their shelves by knocking them down a notch in the state’s annual school performance ratings, which the state uses to seize control of underperforming districts. 

Flanked by easels displaying printed covers of books he found obscene, the lieutenant governor said school boards and administrators have not been following a 2025 law aimed at weeding out lewd books from the shelves in Texas’ more than 9,000 campuses attended by some 5.5 million schoolchildren. 

“It’s the law and we expect you to follow the law. So we’re coming for the books,” Patrick said during a news conference at the Texas Capitol. “We ask that you do it on your own and remove these books.”

The law from last year, Senate Bill 13, granted school boards the authority to approve and remove books based on complaints they receive, such as those from parents and activist groups. Before, those powers largely belonged to school librarians. But Patrick said an overwhelming majority of school boards have not taken any action, as the law nears one year in effect."

A Texas University Is Using A.I. to Cut Left-Leaning Content; The New York Times, August 18, 2026

 Vimal Patel , The New York Times; A Texas University Is Using A.I. to Cut Left-Leaning Content

The politician behind Texas’ conservative overhaul of higher education is now running a university system. Some say his effort to ferret out forbidden topics is a dystopian academic nightmare.

"Texas Tech is using A.I. to ferret out books and other materials that touch on topics like sexual orientation and gender identity. Professors describe the effort as a dystopian academic nightmare, in which ideologues are wielding technology to sideline subject-matter experts."

We asked Stephen King about Utah banning his books. Here’s what the bestselling author said.; The Salt Lake Tribune, July 23, 2026

Palak Jayswal, The Salt Lake Tribune ; We asked Stephen King about Utah banning his books. Here’s what the bestselling author said.

"Earlier this month, bestselling horror author Stephen King had his second title, “Different Seasons,” added to an ever-growing list of books banned in all Utah public schools. 

And while King said he doesn’t usually “respond to queries about book banning,” he believes “this case is a little different.”

In a statement to The Salt Lake Tribune, King wrote:..."

What comes after book bans? One school district questions traditional libraries; WUSF, July 16, 2026

 Douglas Soule, WUSF; What comes after book bans? One school district questions traditional libraries

"After removing hundreds of books, Clay County is debating the purpose of high school libraries. School officials called it modernization. Critics see it as the next phase of the book debate targeting fiction books."

HOW THE SMITHSONIAN COULD FALL; The Atlantic, July 16, 2026

Kelsey Ables, Photographs by Caroline Gutman, The Atlantic ; HOW THE SMITHSONIAN COULD FALL

"The Trump administration wants to control the Smithsonian, but it won’t be so easy."