Photojournalist, colleague, and CJS grad Juan Arredondo wounded in deadly attack in Ukraine

In a letter to the CJS community, Dean Steve Coll says the school has been in touch with Arredondo's family.

Dear Colleagues,

You may have seen news reports that our colleague Juan Arredondo – a distinguished photojournalist, CJS alum and current adjunct faculty member – has been wounded in an attack at a checkpoint near Kiev that also killed the talented American journalist and filmmaker Brent Renaud. 

CBS News posted a brief interview with Juan from a hospital where he is being treated for his injuries. Juan has been in touch with his family, and we are in touch with them. We are working to learn more and to do anything we can to assist with his medical treatment and evacuation.

We send our thoughts and prayers to Juan for a speedy recovery and to his family as they navigate these anxious circumstances.

Juan’s work on the front lines in Ukraine exemplifies his long record as an intrepid, talented journalist devoted to covering stories of human suffering around the world. We are all proud of his courage and dedication.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has issued a statement calling for Renaud’s killers and Arredondo’s attackers to be brought to justice.

We are aware of other faculty members in or on their way to Ukraine, as part of their work as journalists for major news organizations. As we have often discussed in our classrooms, it is axiomatic in journalism that when trouble engulfs the world, reporters run toward it, despite the risks they must manage.

Covering a war such as the one raging in Ukraine requires training and experience, however. Columbia University has specific requirements pertaining to students and full-time faculty planning to travel abroad, especially to countries embroiled in conflict. If you have any questions about these policies, please contact Melanie Huff.

We’ll keep you posted about Juan and hope to welcome him back to the school soon.

Dean Coll