Spy journalists

Every day, I read what journalists who have chosen to practice their profession on Russian soil, or those who chose to leave the country after the war began, write in the Russian press. Like media in other countries, the Russian media is closely following the US election campaign, especially after Joe Biden withdrew from the race. However, there were two important news items that caught my attention these days. 

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (a radio station funded by the US government) was previously banned in Russia as an undesirable organization. Journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who worked for Radio Free Europe, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison after a secret trial on charges of spreading false information about the Russian army. Kurmasheva, who holds dual American and Russian citizenship and lived in Prague with her husband and two daughters, was detained in October 2023 and accused of failing to register as a foreign agent while gathering information about the Russian army. You can read more about who the foreign agents on Russian soil are here. 

On the same day, a Yekaterinburg court sentenced Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison on espionage charges. He is accused of collecting information about a company that produces Russian tanks on the orders of the CIA. Gershkovich was the first American journalist arrested on espionage charges since the famous American journalist Nicholas Daniloff in 1986, at the height of the Cold War.  Although Russia has enacted quite repressive laws regarding freedom of expression since sending troops to Ukraine, very few people expected Russia to convict a journalist for acts of espionage.

I have a few points I would like to comment on regarding these 2 cases. Judicial processes in Russia are usually very long or are deliberately delayed. However, in the cases of these 2 journalists, the court reached its decision very quickly. The espionage charges take us back to the Cold War rhetoric, where countless espionage cases were recorded between the capitalist and communist camps. Through these decisions by the Russian judicial system, Russia wants to warn foreign journalists about the dangers that await them if they do not comply with Russian laws while practicing the profession of journalism. Most Russian laws are laws that contradict the right to freedom of expression. 

History is full of examples of journalists chosen by the secret services of some states to spy in other states. Many books have been written and films have been made on this subject. These two professions are very similar. Sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish between them. Former "Time Magazine" columnist Henry Anatole Grunwald explained the biggest difference between spies and journalists as follows: "journalists will never be silent: this is their most important virtue but also their greatest weakness."  

Why have so many spies chosen to declare themselves journalists to obtain the information they want? Because often, the profession of journalism is one of the best camouflages that allows a spy to conduct research in the field and talk to the world around them without arousing any suspicion. The French autobiographical book "Le silence vous gardera. Témoignage d’un journaliste agent secret" (Silence will protect you. Testimony of a journalist-secret agent) presents the confessions of cameraman-reporter Patrick Denaud, who caught the attention of French intelligence services, who recruited him and trained him in information gathering and transmission techniques. During the 1980-1994 period, Patrick Denaud reported from operational areas in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iraq, and South America.

What could motivate a journalist to accept an offer from a secret service? There are at least 4 reasons. 

1. Ideological reasons – serving by showing patriotism that protects one's country from external dangers

2. Financial rewards 

3. Career advancement

 4. Personal reasons: ambitions, pride, proposed goals. 

In the 21st century, some of us might say that news about spy journalists or spies belongs to the world of fantasy. However, due to an ongoing war in Europe, such news is no longer just news. For example, on some news sites, we come across reports that France has rejected the accreditation applications of some Russian journalists for the Olympic Games on suspicion of espionage. In April 2024, Russian spies suspected of spying on US bases on behalf of Russia and planning attacks on military transport routes were arrested in eastern Germany.

The information war, which is part of hybrid wars, is also often presented through news provided by spy journalists aimed at supporting and strengthening a single perspective, that is, the country or institution they serve. Therefore, as consumers of information, we must be aware of this. We can make more accurate assessments by researching, examining, and comparing various sources of information.