--- title: "Phil Klay named PEN America president amid war rifts" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/media/phil-klay-named-pen-america-president-amid-war-rifts" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/phil-klay-named-pen-america-president-amid-war-rifts" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/media/phil-klay-named-pen-america-president-amid-war-rifts.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/phil-klay-named-pen-america-president-amid-war-rifts" category: "Media" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-18T13:46:04.180Z" source_reported: "2026-09-18T03:23:28.000Z" updated: "2026-09-18T13:46:04.180Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 87 hype_score: 28 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-18T13:30:14.881162+00:00" --- # Phil Klay named PEN America president amid war rifts *Author and Iraq War veteran takes leadership of literary organization facing internal divisions.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Trust 60: named persons and PEN statement cited, but only one original report limits independent corroboration. - Craft 87 of 100, higher is better. Critic 87: gives context, quotes, clear fact‑comment separation, and specific names and dates. - Hype 28 of 100, lower is better. Hype 28: language is measured; headline matches article without exaggeration. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Phil Klay, an Iraq War veteran and National Book Award winner, has been named the new president of PEN America. - Klay takes over from Dinaw Mengestu, who resigned in July after a PEN report detailed the cultural isolation experienced by Jewish and Israeli writers since the Israel-Hamas war began. - PEN America has experienced internal divisions and disagreements stemming from the Israel-Hamas war. - Klay has previously criticized Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank, while also supporting the PEN report on Jewish and Israeli writers. Phil Klay has been appointed the new president of PEN America, a literary and free expression organization. Klay, an Iraq War veteran and winner of the 2014 National Book Award for fiction, succeeds Dinaw Mengestu. Mengestu resigned in July following the release of a PEN report. This report was based on interviews with dozens of Jewish and Israeli writers who described experiencing cultural isolation since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Mengestu stated on Instagram that the report's focus indicated a bias against Palestinians and undermined his confidence in PEN's ability to act equitably. He wrote, "I argued that the organization would defend free expression equitably and equally. This report makes clear that will not happen." The organization has faced internal disagreements related to the Israel-Hamas war. In the past, writer dissatisfaction with PEN's response to the war led to participant dropouts from its annual awards ceremony and "World Voices" festival. Klay has expressed support for the PEN study on Israeli and Jewish writers. He has also voiced criticism of Israel's treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. In August, Klay quoted a New York Times story on X, stating, "The violence is unchecked, indiscriminate and targets innocent civilians." He also wrote an article for The Atlantic in March 2024 titled "U.S. Support for Israel’s War Has Become Indefensible." In a statement released by PEN, Klay said he has "broad faith in cultural exchange, in sustained efforts to understand other people, other cultures, and other ideas, including uncomfortable ones, and to the creation of a more open and egalitarian public square." ## Disagreements in reporting Reports differ on the specific reasons for Dinaw Mengestu's resignation. Washington Top News states Mengestu resigned in the wake of a PEN report that drew upon interviews with dozens of Jewish and Israeli writers about the “widening cultural isolation” they had faced since the war began. He posted on Instagram that the report’s emphasis showed a continued trend of bias against Palestinians and undermined his belief that PEN was capable of changing. Other reports state Mengestu resigned in July after a PEN report. Haaretz reports Klay has been critical of Israel's conduct in the war in Gaza, but also spoke out against a magazine for removing an article by an Israeli translator. ## Omissions in coverage None of the left-rated digests mention the specific wording of Dinaw Mengestu's Instagram post regarding his belief that PEN was capable of changing. None of the right-rated digests mention Phil Klay's criticism of Israel's treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, nor do they mention his Atlantic article titled "U.S. Support for Israel’s War Has Become Indefensible." ## Who covered it Shares of the 21 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 43% (9) - Centre: 52% (11) - Right: 5% (1) 2 of 23 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-18T13:30:14.881162+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 2 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-18T14:15:10.373Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated reports highlighted Phil Klay's criticism of Israel's conduct in the Israel-Hamas war. They noted his past statements on X about "unchecked, indiscriminate" violence and his Atlantic article calling U.S. support for Israel's war "indefensible." These reports also mentioned Klay's support for the PEN study on Jewish and Israeli writers. The resignation of Dinaw Mengestu was linked to a PEN report on the cultural isolation of Jewish and Israeli writers, with some reports including Mengestu's statement that the report showed bias against Palestinians. ### Centre - Centre-rated reports focused on Phil Klay's appointment as the new president of PEN America and his background as an Iraq War veteran and National Book Award winner. They noted that Klay takes over amid disagreements stemming from the Israel-Hamas war and that he succeeds Dinaw Mengestu, who resigned in July after a PEN report. These reports also included Klay's statement about his faith in cultural exchange and creating an "egalitarian public square." Some centre-rated reports mentioned Klay's criticism of Israel's treatment of Palestinians and his support for the PEN report on Jewish and Israeli writers. ### Right - The right-rated report stated that Phil Klay has been named the new president of PEN America. It noted that the organization continues to face disagreements stemming from the Israel-Hamas war and that Klay succeeds Dinaw Mengestu, who resigned in July after a PEN report. The report did not include details about Klay's specific criticisms of Israel or his views on the PEN report. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 7 - unknown: 2 - veryHigh: 13 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [My Mother Lode](https://mymotherlode.com/news/middle-east/11148962/prize-winning-author-phil-klay-takes-over-at-pen-america-amid-israel-hamas-war-rifts.html) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [WBAL](https://wbal.com/prize-winning-author-phil-klay-takes-over-at-pen-america-amid-israel-hamas-war-rifts) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-H - [Washington Top News](https://wtop.com/national/2026/09/prize-winning-author-phil-klay-takes-over-at-pen-america-amid-israel-hamas-war-rifts) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts – WTOP News - [Rocky Mountain Outlook](https://rmoutlook.com/lifestyle/prize-winning-author-phil-klay-takes-over-at-pen-america-amid-israel-hamas-war-rifts-12794107) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [Airdrie City View](https://airdriecityview.com/lifestyle/prize-winning-author-phil-klay-takes-over-at-pen-america-amid-israel-hamas-war-rifts-12794107) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [Bowen Island Undercurrent](https://bowenislandundercurrent.com/the-mix/prize-winning-author-phil-klay-takes-over-at-pen-america-amid-israel-hamas-war-rifts-12794101) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [Medicine Hat News](https://medicinehatnews.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2026/09/17/prize-winning-author-phil-klay-takes-over-at-pen-america-amid-israel-hamas-war-rifts) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [thealbertan.com](https://thealbertan.com/lifestyle/prize-winning-author-phil-klay-takes-over-at-pen-america-amid-israel-hamas-war-rifts-12794107) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [Newsday](https://newsday.com/entertainment/pen-america-president-phil-klay-l69626) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/entertainment/prize-winning-author-phil-klay-takes-over-at-pen-america-amid-israel-hamas-war-rifts) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/israel-new-york-hamas-pen-jewish-b3052216.html) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/israel-new-york-hamas-pen-jewish-b3052216.html) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [Marietta Daily Journal](https://mdjonline.com/news/national/prize-winning-author-phil-klay-takes-over-at-pen-america-amid-israel-hamas-war-rifts/article_abad149d-0dee-5cc1-8e18-523d31927c44.html) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [Oskaloosa Herald](https://oskaloosa.com/news/national_news/prize-winning-author-phil-klay-takes-over-at-pen-america-amid-israel-hamas-war-rifts/article_b2b6f73d-d458-53b6-8489-821d23076607.html) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [Cherokee Tribune Ledger News](https://tribuneledgernews.com/local_news/state_and_national/prize-winning-author-phil-klay-takes-over-at-pen-america-amid-israel-hamas-war-rifts/article_2e9342d8-083e-570e-bf9c-1d6eb44a18ac.html) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [Daily News-Record](https://dnronline.com/associated_press/national/prize-winning-author-phil-klay-takes-over-at-pen-america-amid-israel-hamas-war-rifts/article_d1f2ddc1-72e7-5dae-b047-a5bd22b2f87c.html) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [Finger Lakes Times](https://fltimes.com/news/nation/prize-winning-author-phil-klay-takes-over-at-pen-america-amid-israel-hamas-war-rifts/article_ce88cbf0-6111-5a09-a7e2-cb88689655d0.html) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [The Sun Chronicle](https://thesunchronicle.com/features/stories/prize-winning-author-phil-klay-takes-over-at-pen-america-amid-israel-hamas-war-rifts/article_9acb4752-1a10-5ba0-8e98-1f9c1ddf2108.html) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [pmg-ky3.com](https://pmg-ky3.com/ap/ap_news/prize-winning-author-phil-klay-takes-over-at-pen-america-amid-israel-hamas-war-rifts/article_29dcbf8c-b49f-597b-adaa-cce905a64c51.html) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [WKMG](https://clickorlando.com/entertainment/2026/09/18/prize-winning-author-phil-klay-takes-over-at-pen-america-amid-israel-hamas-war-rifts) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [WSB_TV Atlanta 2](https://wsbtv.com/entertainment/prize-winning-author/AQKUAOMNRQ6DZKQOBSAG2SPVUA) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/2026/09/17/prize-winning-author-phil-klay-takes-over-at-pen-america-amid-israel-hamas-war-rifts) — Prize-winning author Phil Klay takes over at PEN America amid Israel-Hamas war rifts - [Haaretz](https://haaretz.com/us-news/2026-09-17/ty-article/.premium/pen-america-names-phil-klay-as-president-after-cultural-boycott-row-about-israel/000001a0-b08a-d5b2-a9ee-b28a8cc20000) — PEN America names Phil Klay as president after cultural boycott row about Israel ## Questions **Who is the new president of PEN America?** Phil Klay, an Iraq War veteran and award-winning author, has been named the new president of PEN America. He takes over from Dinaw Mengestu, who resigned in July. **Why did the previous president resign?** Dinaw Mengestu resigned in July following the release of a PEN report. This report detailed the cultural isolation experienced by Jewish and Israeli writers since the Israel-Hamas war began. Mengestu stated the report's focus indicated bias against Palestinians. **What is PEN America?** PEN America is a literary and free expression organization. It works to defend writers and artists and to promote free expression worldwide. The organization has recently faced internal disagreements related to the Israel-Hamas war. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/media/phil-klay-named-pen-america-president-amid-war-rifts. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Phil Klay named PEN America president amid war rifts", https://mediabias.news/media/phil-klay-named-pen-america-president-amid-war-rifts