BOSTON, Massachusetts — Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February, Russian forces have targeted and killed at least 12 journalists in Ukraine covering the war and humanitarian crisis, as of August 24, 2022. The Committee to Protect Journalists predicts that Russia’s military has killed even more journalists amid the country’s persisting attempt to mislabel its invasion as justified. It is unclear how many journalists remain in Ukraine, and of those remaining, how many journalists Russian forces have threatened or tortured for their work of bringing the stories of Ukrainians to the U.S. and countries around the world. S.Res.559 “[expresses]gratitude on behalf of the people of the United States to the journalists and news staff who are risking injury and death, are subject to grave threat and have sacrificed their lives, to chronicle and report on the ongoing war in Ukraine resulting from the Russian Federation’s invasion.”
Role of War Journalists
In the United States, journalists and news staff — such as photographers, editors and videographers — have been integral to documenting and helping the world understand wars throughout modern history. War correspondents have been telling the stories of humanitarian crises for centuries, but news teams did not start comprehensively writing, photographing, videoing and sharing the details of wars until a few decades into the 20th century. After journalists started to publish and disseminate news on the internet in the late 1900s, accessing the world’s most pressing stories became easier for average Americans, politicians and government officials.
War journalists in Ukraine have told the stories of bombings that left children without parents, millions of people fleeing, war crimes committed by Russian forces and more. Their reporting has provided the U.S. and the world with a factual and detailed understanding of Russia’s unjust invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing humanitarian crises that subsequently arose across the globe, including rising rates of hunger in Ukraine, Africa and the Middle East.
With accurate news, U.S. citizens are able to make informed choices regarding responses to Russia’s invasion, such as donating, housing refugees or advocating for the U.S. government to send more foreign aid to Ukraine. War correspondents have also pushed back against the disinformation coming out of Russia’s state-owned news and Russian legislation prohibiting journalists from using the word “war” in reporting.
America’s Change of Heart
Over the last few years, voters and politicians in the U.S. have increasingly expressed their distrust of the media as polarization between political parties elevated. While at different levels, both Democrats and Republicans say they believe local and national news outlets hold biases to some extent and that journalism is not as fair as before.
The introduction of S.Res.559 by its sponsors, Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), is unexpected due to current opinions about the media. But, with bipartisan support, the resolution’s cosponsors are making it clear that they respect war journalists in Ukraine and they value the coverage of wars and humanitarian crises.
Honoring Journalists in Ukraine
The U.S. Senate introduced S.Res.559 on March 29, 2022, to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The resolution cites that “dozens of members of the free press” have faced death or injury “by Russian Federation forces as of March 29, 2022, with more casualties and injuries likely.”
S.Res.559 calls on the Senate to honor the journalists in Ukraine for their reporting on the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis. It lays out that the Senate should honor them in four ways:
- Express gratitude on behalf of the U.S. government to all the news staff from around the world who are still based in Ukraine and continue to sacrifice their lives to document the truth.
- Remember the reporters who have faced death or suffered debilitating injuries by Russian forces while extending sympathy to their families.
- Condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko and related authorities for permitting and carrying out war-crime attacks on innocent civilians and journalists in Ukraine.
- Honor reporters for fighting for the right to free speech and freedom of the press across the world by chronicling the facts on the ground to counter Russia’s disinformation campaigns.
“Journalists deserve our gratitude for bravely and tirelessly covering Putin’s unprovoked war, risking their lives to do so,” Klobuchar said in a joint press release with Cassidy. “The free press [plays]a critical role in exposing Putin’s brutality and combating the lies being spread by the Kremlin. Today and every day, standing up for democracy means standing up for a free press.”
Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) are also cosponsors of S.Res.559.
Next Steps
S.Res.559 is categorized as a simple resolution, meaning the sentiments it outlines only apply to the Senate and only require a Senate vote. Simple resolutions express priorities, but they do not become law. In order to succeed, the resolution needs to pass out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and then gain unanimous approval in the full Senate.
Rep. Ashley Hinson introduced a similar resolution to honor journalists in Ukraine, H.R.987, to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on March 16, 2022. The resolution is still waiting on a vote, but is projected to be successful with bipartisan support.
– Delaney Murray
Photo: Flickr