Global press freedom group calls for Gershkovich release

Evan Gershkovich

A global coalition of democratic countries that champions press freedom has condemned Russia’s arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and called for his immediate release from custody.

Journal reporter Paul Vieira reports, “The executive arm of the Media Freedom Coalition, a partnership of 51 countries from six continents, said in a statement scheduled for release Wednesday that Russia is using its authority to intimidate and harass journalists for their critical reporting in the country.

“‘The detention of journalists under the guise of espionage charges is troubling and undermines the basic principles of democracy and rule of law,’ said the statement viewed by the Journal. ‘It is imperative that journalists are able to work independently and without fear of spurious charges being brought against them.’

“…Canada and the Netherlands are the coalition’s co-chairs. The six other members of the coalition’s executive group are the U.S., U.K., Germany, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Ghana.”

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Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.