Risks and Challenges Faced by Women-Journalists Covering the Russian-Chechen Wars

• In Event: Patriarchy as a Disguise: The Unnoticed Power of Women in the Economy, Science, and Dissident Movement

Abstract

The names of Anna Politkovskaya and Natalya Estemirova are known worldwide; these journalists were killed while carrying out their professional duties. But they were not the only ones to report from dangerous places. The last Russian-Chechen wars lasted a total of 11 years, during which at least 50 journalists covered the conflict, a quarter of them women. Journalists working in the Chechen Republic faced discrimination and pressure from both the authorities and their editors. Covering the Russian-Chechen wars posed significant risks to their physical and moral safety. This report is based on material from trips to Chechnya during the wars, interviews with journalists and reflections on my work experience (not in a conflict zone). The interviews with female journalists focused on several aspects: their motivations or editorial decisions that led them to these dangerous areas, the preparations for the trips, how security measures were implemented and discussed, and whether there have been changes in journalism in the nearly 30 years since the Russian-Chechen wars. As well as detailing the difficulties faced by journalists, the report will offer concrete suggestions on how newsrooms can better protect staff sent to unsafe regions.

Author

• Ekaterina Golenkova, LMU Munich (Germany)