A Brief Note from Logan Nonfiction
“Journalist. Accreditation, OK? Accreditation. I have accreditation.”
Those are the words of Logan alumnus Alec Luhn as he was momentarily detained by Russian police while covering anti-war protests in Moscow. The video, seen here, shows Alec as he is pushed into a van by policemen ignoring Alec’s clear protestations that he is an American journalist with the authorization to report.
Alec’s experience is one being shared by many journalists throughout Russia and Ukraine since the beginning of the armed invasion on February 24. There are reports of dozens of journalists being threatened, detained and arrested for their coverage, and at least one Ukranian journalist has been killed to date.
We stand with press freedom organizations like the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders and PEN America, all of whom are calling for the protection of domestic and international journalists during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The state of journalism during times of conflict is something that has weighed heavily on our minds here at the Logan Nonfiction Program since our founding. Several Logan alumni have deep connections to Ukraine, with family and friends living through this invasion and with many others calling the country their homes for long periods of time.
The continued work of courageous journalists reporting from the frontlines of the Ukrainian resistance and Russian anti-war protests allows the rest of the world to witness the atrocities against democracy perpetrated by Russia and to stand for freedom from afar. The free flow of information is vital to combating disinformation, propaganda, censorship and attacks on the press.
For recommendations on how to find reliable, fact-based information from knowledgeable reporters, see the Nieman Lab’s list of resources for following the invasion of Ukraine. Logan alumni with deep expertise and access to the area are also tweeting regularly throughout the conflict, including Alec Luhn, Megan Buskey and Ian Bateson.
For information about staying safe while reporting, visit the resources provided by the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Dart Center and the Frontline Freelance Register.