Statement in Support of Evan Gershkovich of the Wall Street Journal
We, students, fellows, staff, and faculty of the Columbia Journalism School, are writing to urge immediate action in the case of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, recently detained by Russian authorities.
We are deeply concerned about his safety and well-being in custody, particularly given Russia's poor record of protecting the rights of detainees.
As members of the journalism community, we strongly believe in the freedom of the press and the importance of journalism in holding governments accountable — and helping all of us better understand other countries, cultures, and points of view. That is exactly what Evan Gershkovich, as one of the few Western reporters traveling extensively across Russia over the last year, was doing. His stories on the mood in Moscow, Russia’s regions, its military, and the Kremlin provided invaluable guidance to all of us seeking to understand that country in a time of war.
Now he is in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison. We urge the United States government to use all diplomatic channels available to secure Evan Gershkovich's immediate release. We call on you to make his case a top priority.
We stand with Evan and all journalists who risk their lives doing their jobs. We urge you to take swift and decisive action to secure his release and to send a strong message to the world that the United States will not tolerate the persecution of journalists. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Jelani Cobb, Dean of Columbia Journalism School
Andrea Palasciano, Knight-Bagehot Fellow
Keith Gessen, George T. Delacorte Assistant Professor of Magazine Journalism
Samuel G. Freedman, professor of journalism
Sally W. Herships, Director, Audio Program
Jonathan Weiner, professor of journalism
Jane Eisner, director of academic affairs
Nina Alvarez, Assistant Professor of Journalism
Issac Bailey, Laventhol Visiting Professor
Nina Berman, Professor of Journalism
Amy Singer, Adjunct Professor & Deputy Director, Knight-Bagehot Fellowship
Alisa Solomon, Professor
Azmat Khan, Birch Professor & Director Li Center for Global Journalism
Bill Grueskin, Professor of Professional Practice
Alexander Stille, San Paolo Professor of International Journalism
Ari L. Goldman, Professor
Daniel Alarcón, Professor
Joseph Bak-Coleman, Associate Research Scholar
Jonathan Soma, Knight Professor of Data Journalism
Susan Farkas, adjunct journalism professor
Sara Ganim, James Madison visiting professor on First Amendment issues
June Cross, Fred Friendly Professor of Media and Society
Haley Willis, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Journalism
Melanie Huff, Senior Associate Dean of Student Life
Bruce Shapiro, Senior Executive Director, Dart Center for
Journalism & Trauma
Andie Tucher, H. Gordon Garbedian Professor & Director, Communications PhD Program
Daniel Rivero, Chief of Staff
Duy Linh Tu, Associate Professor of Journalism
Howard W. French, Professor of Journalism
Winnie O’Kelley, Academic Dean and Professor Journalism
Thor Neureiter, Director, Video Journalism
Gabby Miller, Senior Fellow, Tow Center for Digital Journalism
Jem Bartholomew, Reporting Fellow, Tow Center for Digital Journalism
Michael Krisch, Program Director, Brown Institute for Media Innovation
Jennifer Streeter, M.S. Candidate
Camillo Barone, Journalist and M.A. Candidate
Alexander Borodikhin, M.A. Candidate
Jemima Denham, M.S.
Laura Esposito, M.S. Journalism Candidate
Ariana Cobb, M.S. Journalism Candidate
Jordan Gonsalves, M.S. Journalism
Jake Bolster M.S. Journalism
Maria Sole Campinoti, M.S Journalism Candidate
Luis A. Gómez, M.S. Journalism
Jordan Coll M.S. Journalism
David Pangilinan, M.S. Journalism
McKenna Leavens, M.S. Journalism Student
Tamia Fowlkes, M.S. Journalism
Lina Fansa M.S.Journalism
Meghan Morris, Knight-Bagehot Fellow
Anna Mutoh, M.S. Stabile Fellow
Ani Freedman, M.S Journalism
Allie Wong, PhD student
Mihika Agarwal, M.A. Candidate
Aaron Simon Gross, M.S. Candidate
Daniel Shailer, M.S. Student
Aysha Esmatullah, M.A Student
Heather Smith, M.A. Student
Anisha Dutta, Journalist & MA Candidate
Babette Stolk, M.S Journalism
Shahrzad Rasekh, M.S. Journalism
Annika Grosser, M.S. Journalism
Jordan Allbrooks, M.S. Journalism
Lauren Sagnella, M.S. Journalism
Debadrita Sur, M.S. Journalism
Aayushmita Bhattacharjee, M.S. Journalism
Pete McKenzie, M.A. Journalism
Ivy Nyayieka, M.S. Data
Anna Gruszczyńska, M.S Documentary
Irish Christianne Dizon, M.S. Journalism
Asta Kongsted, M.S. Journalism
I Gusti Ayu Prima Wirayani, M.A. Candidate
Ben Moore, M.S. Journalism
Hannah Cho, M.S. Journalism
Kevin Lind, M.S. Journalism
Sarah Aoyagi, M.S. Journalism
Andrea Quezada, M.S. Journalism
Isak Hüllert, M.S. Journalism
Monica Montero, M.S. Journalism
Jessica Nix, M.S. Journalism
Ayodeji Rotinwa, M.S. Journalism
Khier Casino, M.S. Journalism
Henry Zeris, M.S. Journalism
Erum Salam, M.S. Journalism
Anna Westerberg, M.S. Journalism
Mitchell Black, M.S. Journalism
Vi Tran, M.S. Journalism
Emma Forgione, M.A. Journalism
Willow Higgins, M.A. Journalism
Vivienne Nunis, Knight-Bagehot Fellow
Hangyu Fan, M.S. Journalism
Abdullah Ayasun, Journalism M.A. candidate
Anvita Patwardhan, M.S. Journalism
Leslie A. Zukor, M.S. Journalism candidate
Brawley Benson, M.S. Journalism
Christina Previte, M.S. Journalism
Ahan Penkar, M.S Journalism
Shalaka Shinde, MS Journalism
Huaqing Ma, M.A. Journalism
Allison Doluisio, M.S. Journalism
Devashri Bhujbal, M.S. Journalism
Anne Whiting, M.A. Candidate
Lindsey Choo, M.S. Journalism
Akanksha Saxena, M.A Journalism
Jake Conley, M.S. Journalism
Anna Gratzer, M.S. Candidate
Noelle Videon, M.S. Journalism
Yuanhao Zhang, M.S. Journalism
Nina R. Dietz, M.S. Stabile Fellow
José Maria Del Pino, Journalist and M.A. Candidate
Inci Sayki, M.S. Journalism
Mike Davis, M.S. Journalism
Jana Cholakovska, M.S. Stabile Fellow
Giuseppe Guerandi, M.S. Candidate
Roy Stephen Canivel, M.A. Journalism
Vaidik Trivedi, MA in Business & Economics Journalism
Emma Rose, M.S. Stabile Fellow
Cynthia Helton, Associate Dean of Alumni and Development
Pete Brown, Research Director, Tow Center for Digital Journalism
Dolores Barclay, Adjunct Professor and Manager the Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and
Civil and Human Rights
Michael Schudson, Chair, Communications PhD Program
Dale Maharidge, Professor
Claire Caulfield, Journalist and M.A. Candidate
Matthew Pressman, adjunct journalism professor
Ryan Kailath, Knight-Bagehot Fellow
Carlos José Jijón, M.A. Candidate
Isabella Garcia-Mendez, M.S. Journalism
Pamela McKelvin, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Sean Gregory, Adjunct Professor
Lisa R. Cohen, Director, The duPont-Columbia Awards
Yana Mulder, M.S. Journalism
Sophie Chew, M.S. Journalism
Claire Brown, Knight-Bagehot fellow
Shaye Areheart, Director, The Columbia Publishing Course
Sam Dean, Knight-Bagehot Fellow
Emma Skeels, Associate Director, Columbia Publishing Course
Emily Schmidt, Journalism and Government Information Librarian
Abi Wright, Executive Director, Professional Prizes
Dorian Benkoil, Adjunct Professor
Kate Black, Program Director, Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma
Helen Benedict, professor, Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia
Sheila S. Coronel, professor and director, Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism
Susie Marples, program manager, Professional Prizes