‘It is a joyous day’: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich freed in a prisoner swap with Russia

For 16 months, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was a prisoner of Russia, falsely accused of espionage.

The Wall Street Journal and U.S. government vehemently denied the charges. After a lightning-fast sham trial last month where no evidence was publicly presented, Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Throughout it all, the Journal, Gershkovich’s family and friends, and journalists around the world echoed a common refrain that could be seen on social media, signs and bumper stickers:

Free Evan!

Those two powerful words, on Thursday, became a reality. Gershkovich is now free.

In the most complex and complicated East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War, a swap that involved seven countries and 24 prisoners, Gershkovich was set free. The deal also included businessman and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza, a British-Russian dissident and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist.

After their release, President Joe Biden said, “The deal that secured their freedom was a feat of diplomacy. Some of these women and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over.”

In a letter published on the Wall Street Journal website, Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker wrote, “It is a joyous day for Evan’s family, friends and colleagues, who have worried about him and supported him these past 16 months. It is a joyous day for the millions of well-wishers in the U.S. and around the world who stood with Evan and defended the free press.  And it is a joyous day for the relatives and friends of the other wrongfully detained Americans and German citizens who returned home and for the Russian political prisoners who were released to the West.”

Tucker added, “The bogus case against him represented many significant things. A blow against press freedom. A warning to foreign journalists covering the Kremlin. A new tension in America’s relationship with Russia. But at the center of it all was Evan, our 32-year-old Moscow correspondent from New Jersey, who likes to cook and supports Arsenal Football Club, and who loved living in and reporting on Russia. He was our inspiration, the galvanizing force. We watched him deal with his absurd predicament with strength, composure, humor and a ‘heart-sign’ from behind the walls of his courtroom glass cage. Along the way, we learned about his life and his history and understood why he is beloved by so many.”

The Journal was among the last major news organizations to report that Gershkovich was freed, although that surely was because they wanted to wait until he was out of Russia and on free soil before reporting the news. Once it was official, the Journal produced several stunningly good pieces about the swap.

The best among them was Joe Parkinson, Drew Hinshaw, Bojan Pancevski and Aruna Viswanatha with “Inside the Secret Negotiations to Free Evan Gershkovich.” It is an absolute must-read.

The Journal’s advocacy in keeping Gershkovich’s name and story in the news has been greatly admired and appreciated in the journalism community. And it was effective. The New York Times’ Katie Robertson wrote, “ … since Russia imprisoned Mr. Gershkovich in March 2023, The Journal has pushed to keep his detainment top of mind. The organization has operated letter-writing campaigns, launched social media blitzes and staged a 24-hour read-a-thon of Mr. Gershkovich’s reporting. Colleagues across the world took part in runs on the first anniversary of his arrest, while employees in New York plunged into the cold waters at Brighton Beach in Brooklyn for a swim event.”

Tucker told Robertson, “After an initial flurry of attention in the weeks following Evan’s arrest, keeping the spotlight on his ordeal became a huge challenge for the newsroom amid jam-packed news cycles. We used every grim milestone as a moment to organize publicity and get Evan back into the headlines: 100 days, his birthday in October, 250 days, every one of his court appearances.”

The Journal met the challenge, and set an example that was followed by many news and journalism organizations. CNN’s Jake Tapper, for example, posted daily on X about Gershkovich being detained, writing, “Journalism is not a crime” and “Free Evan Now.”

After his release, Gershkovich’s family put out a statement saying they had waited 491 days for his release and “it’s hard to describe what this day feels like. We can’t wait to give him the biggest hug and see his sweet and brave smile up close.”

They went on to thank the Biden administration and government officials, his family and friends, as well as journalists and, especially, his colleagues at Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal, writing, “They have taken care of Evan and our entire family since the beginning, and we are forever grateful.”

In a statement, the Committee to Protect Journalists CEO Jodie Ginsberg said, “Evan and Alsu have been apart from their families for far too long. They were detained and sentenced on spurious charges intended to punish them for their journalism and stifle independent reporting. Their reported release is welcome — but it does not change the fact that Russia continues to suppress a free press. Moscow needs to release all jailed journalists and end its campaign of using in absentia arrest warrants and sentences against exiled Russian journalists.”

The New York Times’ Anton Troianovski and Mark Mazzetti wrote, “The deal seemed sure to prompt jubilation among Western nations that had condemned the charges against Mr. Gershkovich and others as baseless and politically motivated. And it could deliver a diplomatic victory for President Biden, who has long pledged to bring home imprisoned Americans and to support Russia’s embattled pro-democracy movement.”

The Times added, “It was a triumph of a different sort for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, who can use the deal to highlight his loyalty to Russian agents who get arrested abroad. But the deal also carries risks for him, by releasing an imprisoned politician who could energize Russia’s moribund, exiled opposition.”

Here are more notable stories involving Gershkovich and the historic prisoner swamp:

• The Washington Post’s Manuel Roig-Franzia with “Evan Gershkovich lived his journalism dream before his nightmare began.”
• Another from Roig-Franzia in the Post: “Vladimir Kara-Murza was jailed in Russia, but it didn’t silence him.”
• Another from The Washington Post. Leo Sands and Bryan Pietsch with “Who is Vadim Krasikov, the Russian hit man at the center of the deal?”
• The Guardian with “Video shows moment US journalist Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan and other freed prisoners board plane leaving Russia.”
• The Wall Street Journal’s Drew Hinshaw, Aruna Viswanatha and Joe Parkinson write about Paul Whelan in “The Unluckiest American Is Finally Coming Home From Russia.”
• The New York Times’ Ivan Nechepurenko, Valerie Hopkins and Alina Lobzina with “Who Was Freed in the Prisoner Swap Between Russia and the West?”

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And now for something completely different

Earlier this week, Puck’s Dylan Byers broke the unexpected news that Norah O’Donnell was stepping away as anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News.”

But that was only the half of it. The other part, perhaps even more surprising, was that CBS didn’t have plans to replace O’Donnell with just one big-name, high-profile anchor. The network known for evening news legends such as Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather was going to go to an anchor-by-committee.

On Thursday, CBS made the news official. After the election, the “CBS Evening News” will have CBS News veteran John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois, a longtime anchor of the CBS affiliate in New York, anchoring with regular contributions from “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan, who will remain based in Washington and report on political news and foreign affairs. (She will remain on “FTN.”)

In addition, Lonnie Quinn has been named chief meteorologist and will lead coverage of the weather — which is becoming more and more prominent on all newscasts across all networks.

Bill Owens, the highly-respected executive producer of “60 Minutes” will be the supervising producer of the “CBS Evening News.” He will continue at “60 Minutes,” as well.

Give CBS this much: This is an outside-the-box idea. And since they routinely trail ABC and NBC in the ratings, why not try it?

Wendy McMahon, president and CEO of CBS News, said in a statement, "With Norah’s decision, we began reimagining and redesigning the ‘Evening News.’ The strength of CBS News has always been in its ensemble of journalists, both in front of and behind the camera, and our goal with John, Maurice, Margaret and Lonnie at the ‘Evening News' is to elevate the best in their fields every night for our viewers. In addition to this ensemble team, we look forward to welcoming ‘60 Minutes’ correspondents to file for the ‘CBS Evening News’ when they have news to break; for decades this was routine, so it will be again.”

The New York Times’ John Koblin wrote, “In some ways, the program, with dedicated weather segments and a cast of frequently appearing correspondents, may resemble something closer to a morning show, or a local newscast.”

However, with Owens as supervising producer, expect the “Evening News” to have the highest journalistic standards. Owens has CBS News and “60 Minutes” veteran producer Guy Campanile as executive producer of the “CBS Evening News.”

Gannett and Lee report declining revenue even as they grow digital advertising and subs

For this item, I turn it over to my Poynter colleague Angela Fu with a contribution from Poynter media business analyst Rick Edmonds.

Gannett and Lee Enterprises, two of the largest newspaper chains in the country, reported Thursday that they had faced declines in total revenue last quarter despite expanding their digital audiences.

Gannett — which owns more than 200 dailies, including USA Today — posted a profit of $13.7 million last quarter, an improvement from the same period last year, when it suffered a $12.7 million loss. However, its total revenue fell 4.8% to $639.8 million. That decline was offset by increases in digital revenue, which now makes up 44% of Gannett’s total revenue.

“For the first time in our company’s history, the USA Today network in April rose to the number one news and information provider among content producers in America based on unique visitors, as measured by Comscore,” chief content officer Kristin Roberts told investors in an earnings call Thursday. She added that Gannett had reached 53% of American internet users.

Gannett now has more than two million digital-only paid subscriptions, and it has grown both its digital subscription revenue and digital average revenue per user by more than 20% year-over-year. Roberts said that the company is prioritizing video and has already seen “incredible results,” thanks to its coverage of major sporting events like the Kentucky Derby and the Indy 500. It plans to lean into its video strategy for the Olympics and the upcoming football season.

Executives at Gannett said that the company has increased its free cash flow and hit a milestone in its debt reduction. For the first time since GateHouse bought Gannett for $1.1 billion in 2019, the company’s net debt fell under $1 billion. It repaid $24.3 million of debt last quarter.

Though many media companies have struck deals with artificial intelligence companies — some of which are reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars — Gannett has held off. CEO Mike Reed told shareholders Thursday that the company has not yet been presented with a “fair value” deal for its content.

"We don't think that the deals that have been cut so far — while it may represent fair value to those companies in terms of what they're looking at or how they look at their business or how they cut their deal — we haven't seen a deal yet that we think represents fair value for our content," Reed said.

Lee Enterprises, which owns more than 70 dailies, ended its last quarter with a $3.7 million loss, down from the $2.1 million profit it earned during the same period last year. Significant declines in print meant that its operating revenue fell to $150.6 million last quarter. As a result, the company has had to decrease its fiscal year outlook for adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization). It is now predicting a year-end adjusted EBITDA of $73 million to $78 million, which would be an 8% to 14% decrease from last year.

“This change is the result of the lagging print business and reflective of the incremental cost reductions we have taken in response,” chief financial officer Timothy Millage said during an earnings call Thursday.

Like Gannett, Lee grew its digital revenue, including digital subscription revenue. Lee hit a milestone last quarter when digital revenue made up half of its total revenue. The company has been trying to reduce its reliance on print, given industrywide declines in the sector. Lee now has 748,000 digital subscribers, a 23% increase over the prior year.

The declines in revenue at Gannett and Lee align with industrywide trends that America’s Newspapers CEO Dean Ridings has noticed. He told Poynter in an email that “revenue continues to be challenging” at many papers and those that are experiencing performance improvements have done so by reducing expenses.

The first half of 2024 has been difficult for many news outlets. Several dozen — including the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal and CNN — have executed layoffs, while several smaller community papers have shut down completely. Many outlets have blamed their cuts on a challenging economic environment, one in which advertising revenue has dried up.

“I’m hearing that Q3 and Q4 will be about the same for the mid-size and larger, but the smaller papers, particularly those in rural area(s), are continuing to face stiff headwinds,” Ridings wrote. “There are a few bright spots, but business continues to be difficult for many newspaper operators.”

Both Gannett and Lee stock prices were down Thursday. Gannett shares were trading at $4.52 apiece, down 7.9% from Wednesday’s close, and Lee shares were trading at $9.70 apiece, down 4.8% from Wednesday’s close.

The price is right

Venu Sports — the new sports streaming platform from the combined forces of ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery — announced its pricing on Thursday. It will launch in the fall and cost $42.99 per month — a little lower than many industry types thought it would be.

The package will allow customers to get games from networks ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPNEWS, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, and ESPN+. That means it will air many games from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, WNBA, as well as college sports, NASCAR, soccer, golf and tennis and soccer. Besides games, the programming will include studio shows and documentaries.

Venu CEO Pete Distad said in a statement, “We’re building Venu from the ground up for fans who want seamless access to watch the sports they love, and we will launch at a compelling price point that will appeal to the cord cutter and cord never fans currently not served by existing pay TV packages.”

Venu is facing a lawsuit from FuboTV and still needs to clear some regulatory hurdles, but if this happens, it is an intriguing alternative for sports fans.

Awful Announcing’s Andrew Bucholtz has more.

And now for more media news, tidbits and interesting links for your weekend review …

• NPR’s Eric Deggans shares his thoughts in “Five takeaways by a longtime NABJ member from Trump’s appearance before Black journalists.”
• The New York Times’ Kate Conger with “Don Lemon Sues Elon Musk Over Canceled X Deal.”
• The Athletic’s Katie Strang and Dan Robson write about former Sportsnet broadcaster Jeff Marek in “Why was a beloved hockey broadcaster pulled off the air?”
• For New York Magazine’s Vulture, Chris Heath with “Four Friends, Two Marriages, One Affair — and a Shelf of Books Dissecting It.”
• Finally, just a note to say I will be on vacation next week, and return on Aug. 12. However, the Poynter Report will continue to publish thanks to my colleagues.

More resources for journalists

• Get an AI ethics framework for your newsroom. Start here.
• Public media journalists: attend our Digital Transformation Project Q&A webinar Aug. 13.
• Work-Life Chemistry: Ditch work-life balance for a more sustainable approach.

Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected].