A very bad year for press freedom

Plus: Beyoncé's new album, Netanyahu's new crisis, and more. March 29, 2024 [View in browser]( Good morning! I'm back, here to dig into a topic close to my heart. —Caroline Houck, senior editor of news   [evan gershkovich seen through a window] Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images Evan Gershkovich has been in jail for a year This morning, Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter and the first American journalist to be [arrested in Russia on espionage charges]( since the Cold War, woke up to his second year in prison. After five years of covering Russia, he was arrested in March 2023. It came as a shock: Though Russian journalists have long faced increasing repression and even [deadly peril](, international journalists “were generally a somewhat protected class,” as my former [colleague Jonathan Guyer wrote one year ago](. One thing Gershkovich had in common with many Russian journalists who have run afoul of the state: His arrest was bogus. Within two weeks, the US government [officially designated]( him as “[wrongfully detained](.” Reporters Without Borders (RSF), meanwhile, considers him a “[Russian state hostage](.” Despite a year of pre-trial hearings and extensions on his detention, Russia has [publicly provided no clear evidence]( to substantiate its allegations. For the media that remains in the country, it has also “had a huge chilling effect, with further self-censorship,” Jeanne Cavelier, the head of RSF’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk, said over email. That all serves Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aims amid the [ongoing war in Ukraine](. But what’s happened to Gershkovich isn’t just about Putin. Yes, his government was already particularly bad on press freedom and has only gotten [worse since Russia invaded Ukraine](: Over 30 journalists in Russia are currently imprisoned because of their reporting and “between 1,500 to 1,800 Russian journalists were forced into exile” over the last two years, [according to a report by the RSF’s JX Fund](. “Russia is ranked 164th out of 180 countries in the last [Press Freedom Index](,” Cavelier pointed out. “It dropped another nine places last year, in the worst category of the ranking where the press freedom situation is classified as ‘very serious.’” But it would be short-sighted to think that brazen attacks on the media stop at Russia’s borders. [A 2018 funeral ceremony of Yassser Murtaja, a Palestinian news reporter, who was shot by shot by Israeli forces while covering a rally] Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Impunity in action The most egregious example of what happens when there’s a sense of impunity over attacks on journalists is the Israel-Hamas war. As the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) [noted in December](, 68 journalists were killed in the first 10 weeks of the war — more “than have ever been killed in a single country over an entire year.” That tally has only [grown since](. Gaza was already a difficult place to conduct independent journalism, given [Hamas’s harassment, intimidation, and physical abuse of reporters](. And war zones are obviously dangerous for all civilians, reporters included. But Israel has said it [cannot guarantee journalists’ safety in Gaza]( and has [denied international reporters access to the territory](. Even more concerning: Critics say the Israel Defense Forces also appear to have a [pattern of targeting journalists](. “In at least [one case](, a journalist was killed while clearly wearing press insignia in a location where no fighting was taking place,” CPJ [reported](. “In at least two other cases, journalists reported receiving threats from [Israeli officials]( and [IDF officers]( before their family members were killed.” This builds on years of broader restrictions and harassment of the media, including [20 killings of journalists by Israeli fire]( over the last two decades. Israel has opened investigations into many of these deaths, to be sure, but no one has ultimately been [held accountable](. One notable example: In 2022, Palestinian-American [journalist Shireen Abu Akleh]( was killed as she was reporting for Al Jazeera on an IDF raid in the West Bank. Independent media investigations indicated it was [a deliberate attack by IDF soldiers](. Israel [says]( there is a “high possibility” a soldier shot Abu Akleh but there was “no suspicion that a bullet was fired deliberately.” (The US [response]( to the killing of one of its citizens was slow to materialize; only six months after her death did [reports break]( that the US had opened an investigation into her killing.) Yes, wars are dangerous to report from. With [one exception](, “the countries with the highest number of journalists killed for their work in any given year” – Syria in 2012, Afghanistan in 2018, Ukraine in 2022, and Somalia in 2012 – were at war or amid an insurrection, [per CPJ data](. But this isn’t exclusive to war zones. [''Justice for Dom & Bruno,'' reads over images of British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian indigenous expert Bruno Pereira at a memorial event a year after they were murdered in the Amazon. ] Joao Gabriel Alves/picture alliance via Getty Images The broader picture Anywhere there’s a struggle for power or even just a lot of money at stake, the media is at risk — be that from the state, non-state actors (like cartels, terrorist groups, or business interests), or an unholy union of the two. Nowhere is that clearer than in Latin America and the Caribbean. - In Guatemala, for example, [Q’eqchi’ Mayan journalist Carlos Choc]( has been subjected to years of legal intimidation and persecution in response to his reporting on the country’s mining industry. - In Haiti, there are questions over whether a powerful prosecutor covered up — or even ordered — the [murder of a popular radio journalist](. - In Ecuador, where gangs have been fighting over a newly [lucrative narco industry]( and defying the government with increasing impunity, [letter bombs]( were delivered last year to at least five TV and radio journalists. (Thankfully, no serious injuries were reported.) - In Mexico, right before Abu Akleh’s killing, [three journalists were killed in the span of three days](. I’m highlighting it as a stark example of the dangers that reporters, especially those who cover politics or organized crime, face in Mexico — the [most dangerous country for media workers for three years running]( before the outbreak of the Ukraine war. - In Brazil, British journalist [Dom Phillips]( was murdered alongside a Brazilian activist while reporting for a book on the destruction of the Amazon. It is part of what [the Guardian described]( as “the increasingly violent atmosphere that has gripped Brazil since the 2018 election of a president who has overseen what activists call [a historic assault on Indigenous rights and the environment](.” At the risk of making your eyes glaze over, I’ll stop there. This profession has never been safe. But until a decade ago or so, there was at least a sense that journalists had a recognized role in reporting from even the world’s worst conflicts — and that role afforded them some protection. The last couple of years have felt particularly grim, and the outbreak of two wars by two governments, both known to operate with impunity toward reporters, is an obvious turn for the worse. —[Caroline Houck, senior editor of news](   [Listen]( Buy a house? In this economy? Home affordability hasn’t been this bad in decades. But Dave Ramsey, the popular, controversial finance guy, says this time isn’t that different. [Listen now](   CLIMATE - Food loss and waste generate 8 to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions: The food that’s lost globally between it being produced and sold, then what’s wasted from there on, combined accounts for enough emissions that “if it were a country, it would rank third after China and the United States.” [[Al Jazeera](] - What’s worse than a news desert?: A news mirage. That’s what Richmond, California has. “Stories are told — but with an agenda.” Want to know why? Take a look at who owns the only local newspaper. [[Floodlight](] - Speaking of astronomical energy uses: AI already uses as much as a small country. And the energy needed to support data storage more generally “is expected to double by 2026. You can do something to stop it.” [[Vox](] [The Chevron Refinery is seen from above in Richmond, Calif. in 2012] Paul Chinn/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images AROUND THE WORLD - Benjamin Netanyahu might not wriggle out of this one: I mean, he might. The Israeli leader has survived countless political crises. But he has until “Sunday evening to present a fix to Israel’s controversial conscription law. If he fails, his government likely fails with him.” [[Vox](] - India’s putting opposition politicians behind bars: Critics say Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to stack the deck ahead of the country’s elections. [[Semafor](] JUST FOR FUN - We love a good hate-read: And this pop-up newsletter, featuring beloved internet writers ranting about stuff they hate, is just the best. Click on this one, climber boys and girls, if you dare. [[DeezLinks](] - Here’s your commute soundtrack: Beyoncé’s new album, Cowboy Carter, is out today. [[Vox](]   Ad  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   A safety net’s poverty trap What would you do if you could only save $2,000? [Listen now](   Are you enjoying the Today, Explained newsletter? Forward it to a friend; they can [sign up for it right here](. And as always, we want to know what you think. We recently changed the format of this newsletter. Any questions, comments, or ideas? We're all ears. Specifically: If there is a topic you want us to explain or a story you’re curious to learn more about, let us know [by filling out this form]( or just replying to this email. Today's edition was written and produced by Caroline Houck, and edited by Bryan Walsh. We'll see you Monday!   Ad  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( [TikTok]( [WhatsApp]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. 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