Student Essay By Jacob Davenport
April 23, 2022—When starting an internship with Mohr Media in January, I thought I already had a good understanding of journalism. I thought of it as reporting on the facts of a given situation and covering major events. As I progressed in my internship, I really began to see the importance of journalism. Specifically, I learned to core tenants of news reporting:
- Neutrality,
- In-depth research,
- Clarity,
- Organization, and
- Respectfulness.
When researching for stories to find the facts and the truth, I found that the task was more challenging than anticipated.
Witnessing Information Wars
Towards the end of February, the world watched Russia invade Ukraine. It became clear how much the use of misinformation by the Russian Federation factored into the war. In fact, the Russian government used it as a tool for the war.
For example, at the beginning of the war, text messages on a Russian soldier’s phone showcased this contrast.
“Mom, I’m in Ukraine, there’s a real war. I’m scared, we shoot at everything in a row, even at peaceful ones. We were told that they would welcome us, but they throw themselves under our military equipment and do not let us pass. They call us fascists. It’s very hard for me” the message said, according to a story in the GER.
Propaganda And A Crackdown On Speech
Propaganda was a large part of the war from the beginning. During this invasion, the Russian government cracked down on journalism within their borders and constantly pushed a narrative that their invasion and war is “a military operation.”
In early March, the situation grew worse. As Russian President Vladimir Putin criminalized traditional and non-traditional news reporting that contradicts official government versions of events. The government passed a new law applying to social media, independent journalists, and international correspondents reporting. Essentially, the law punishes anyone for reporting news differing from Russia’s official governmental version. Furthermore, the law makes it a criminal offense for the public or any independent news media to report on it as a “war or invasion.”
Media And Social Media Blocked
As a result of the new law, the government blocked all access to many outside news websites and to Facebook, according to a story in the New York Times. The paper reported that Russian officials are even going out of their way to criticize journalists by calling their reports to be too critical or that it is “undermining the national interest, even referring to them as traitors.”
What is even more concerning is that Russia aims to control of information outside its borders. Government officials are spinning the narrative in other countries. For example, Putin continues to try to rekindle 20th Century-style confrontation. For example, as PBS News reported, Putin said, “We will strive for demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine.”
Concluding Reflections
It is heartbreaking to realize a majority of Russian soldiers do not fully comprehend the world’s perspective of the war in Ukraine. Only when talking with their loved ones back home, do Russian soldiers discover they are not the “liberators” they were promised to be, but instead invaders overthrowing a sovereign nation.
I cannot fully fathom or comprehend the wide range of emotions and internal conflicts the Russian soldiers are experiencing. What I imagine, is a range of emotions that will require attention for years to come. It really doesn’t matter if the personal trauma is a result of actions in support of or against civilians, innocent bystanders, or opposing soldiers as the turmoil of war will likely rage on long after the fighting ends and the battlefields begin to heal themselves.
Russia’s war against Ukraine enhanced my understanding of wartime reporting and the need for unrestricted access to information. The current situation illustrated to me the importance of foreign war correspondents who more accurately report and document first-hand observations of happenings within a war zone. Their pictures, interviews, and observations are critical to painting an accurate picture while providing the global community with a more accurate assessment of the situation than may be reported by government entities involved in the conflict. Absent this more objective analysis, I believe a historical perspective of conflicts may be shaped by governments with an interest in promoting a specific outcome or observation.
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