Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich did nothing to warrant imprisonment when he was arrested by Russian authorities on March 29, 2023. Facing bogus charges of espionage, his only “crime” was covering the authoritarian government of Vladimir Putin with unflinching and unbiased clarity. A prisoner swap between the United States and Russia last week brought him safely home, sparing him and others unfairly detained from additional suffering.
But his ordeal aptly demonstrates the perilous work of journalists operating in hostile conditions, who endure threats and intimidation — as well as arrest, imprisonment and death — to keep the public informed. Freedom of the press is a cherished principle in the United States, a provision of our Constitution and a pillar of our democratic system. Several of the Founders were publishers and authors, statesmen who knew the power of the written word and the necessity to shield the media from government interference.
Such protections may be common in western nations, and many countries around the world recognize that a free press contributes to robust debate in open societies. In authoritarian states, however, investigative journalism threatens a regime’s power and is often met with harsh oppression, fictitious criminal charges and even extrajudicial killing. Russia has never been a welcoming place for journalists, even after the collapse of the communist system in the 1990s.
Numerous reporters died under suspicious circumsta.