In a Russian media landscape that seeks to suppress reality rather than shine a light on it, Evan Gershkovich bravely went to work each day as a journalist for the Wall Street Journal, illuminating parts of Vladimir Putin’s Russia that otherwise operated in the shadows.
In a country ruled by force and fear, Gershkovich’s investigating and accurate reporting landed him in the clutches of the Federal Security Service, which labeled his important reportage of Russia as a collection of “Russian military-industrial complex” state secrets.
Arresting Gershkovich Threatens Free Speech
The weight of Gershkovich’s arrest in March 2023 cannot be overstated: An American journalist has not been charged by the Russian government since the Cold War, and the Kremlin has accused the 31-year-old Gershkovich of espionage. But the situation inside the walls of Lefortovo prison represents something beyond a backsliding of relations between the U.S. and Russia or the unjust arrest of one man serving as a pawn in a greater game between the two nations.
Gershkovich’s imprisonment highlights the most pressing matter facing international media today — the stripping of journalistic freedoms and investigative rights at the hands of authoritarian governments, who understand the role journalists play in providing facts and seeking truth on behalf of the public. In arresting Gershkovich, Russia clipped the line of information between the Russian government and its people and carried out a blatant attack on the basic values that the world has generally accepted as universally binding.
Russia is orchestrating a show trial to instigate a valuable prisoner swap with the U.S. — a tactic from which the Biden administration continues to find itself suffering — but the highly publicized arrest of a prominent American journalist sends a larger, clearer message: Freedom of the press is not welcome here, and those who seek the truth will meet the same fate.
Russia is not alone in making examples of reporters as part of a larger crusade against free media and, ultimately, democratic governance. Last fall, pro-democracy activist and media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai of Hong Kong was sentenced to six years following a bogus arrest for fraud directed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). His tabloid newspaper Apple Daily – known for its critiques of the CCP and its Beijing-appointed leadership – was shut down a year prior. (READ MORE: Michigan Hate Crime Bill Is an Attack on Free Speech)
Despite the blatant affront to democratic values that Lai’s incarceration represents, he has become a beacon of hope for those striving for freedom of the press globally, rather than, as the CCP had hoped, a cautionary tale against taking up these principles.
For those who wish to join in this fight against tyranny worldwide, we must see Gershkovich the same way — as a hero for truth-telling and journalistic integrity.
Join in the Fight for the Free Press
To honor and further the work of Gershkovich, Lai, and so many other courageous media figures who have faced prison or worse for their vital reporting in the face of authoritarian regimes, we must guarantee that their brave storytelling and sacrifices were not made in vain.
We as a nation and the global community as a whole must continue to demand the release of Gershkovich and Lai, seek accountability for authoritarian regimes regarding news coverage, and work together to ensure that all journalists have the capacity to perform their jobs without interference or retribution. My organization, the Fund for American Studies (TFAS), seeks to train the next generation of journalists to carry out their jobs with integrity and skill, equipping them with the tools and knowledge needed to report on issues that matter and hold those in power accountable.
Our initiatives include our collegiate Journalism and Communications program, which aims to underscore that discourse in a free society depends on the accuracy of information provided by the media. We also empower young professional journalists to engage in important reporting projects through the Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship Program. This year-long program allows promising young writers to pursue projects they otherwise would be unable to investigate. The Joseph Rago Fellowship provides a nine-month internship on the Wall Street Journal’s opinion pages.
A threat to democracy is not singular or siloed. The threat to accurate and fair reporting in Russia is a threat to freedom of the press everywhere.
As watchdogs for the public who promote accountability through the reporting of facts, journalists are critical to the survival and advancement of democratic values here and around the globe. We must work to free Gershkovich while also educating the next generation of American reporters if we’re to preserve this important foundation of our way of life today and in the years to come.
Roger Ream is president of the Fund for American Studies (TFAS), a nonprofit educational organization that works with high school and college students to promote the principles of free-market economics, limited government, and honorable leadership. He is also host of the Liberty + Leadership podcast.
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