From Russia With Love

Something is definitely rotten in the state of Russia. I've heard bits and pieces in various news stories about how some where saying President Vladimir Putin is subverting the Russian constitution and making moves to stay in power despite the fact that his term as president is soon coming to an end.

This is obviously important because it might mean the decay of democracy in a major world power that still possesses nuclear weapons. But what really grabbed my attention on an emotional level was the murder of Anna Politikovskaya. She and a number of other journalists that dared to report on things that cast the Kremlin or Putin in a negative light have "mysteriously" been murdered or come up missing. A lot of people (including me) think the Kremlin is behind most of these "unsolved" deaths and disappearances.

The whole thing has made me think about what I would be willing to sacrifice to be the sort of journalist that really serves the democratic purpose journalists are supposed to serve.

I'm thinking about this right now because of what I heard on NPR's "Fresh Air" earlier today (yes, I do know that makes me a huge nerd). Garry Kasparov, former Chess Champion and leader of an opposition coalition called "Other Russia," was the guest. I realize that he is running for president against Putin, so much of what he said couldn't exactly be seen as coming from a neutral source, but I really started to feel a sense of urgency about the situation in Russia after hearing his comments. Protests are being broken up by enormous police deployments, it's becoming increasingly difficult for opposition parties to get candidates on ballots, and the coverage of opposition parties by journalists in newspapers and television is severely limited. Free speech is essential for democracy to work, and it seems to be breaking down in Russia. Kasparov perseveres despite all of this, and I admit I was impressed with his resolve.

It all reminded me of a brief conversation I had a few months ago with an acquaintance from Russia. She had told me that she studied journalism in Russia before coming to the U.S., so I asked her about the accusations being leveled at Putin. She gave me a very odd, stiff response before hastily changing the subject. I think she said something like "I actually think the problem in Russia right now is that there is too much freedom." I'm unsure to this day whether her response represented her genuine opinion, something that was lost in translation, or her continuing fear of reprisals, even here in America.

I guess I'm just rambling now, so I better wrap this up. Don't take your responsibility as journalists for granted, and appreciate your ability to speak truth to power through the press. We've all met up with people that are hostile to what we're trying to do as journalists, but I'd wager none of us have had to worry too much about being gunned down by former KGB or detained while covering a civil street protest. When you hear about this stuff, remember that these are real people they're talking about - maybe even our friends and coworkers. I, for one, hope we remain committed to making sure it never gets that way for us.

~Geoffrey Dobbins
Vice President, UCABJ