June 2021
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** Alexei Navalny, Social Media, and the State of the Free Press in Russia ([link removed])
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The space for independent Russian journalism is shrinking, but a handful of small outlets still offer an alternative to state media.
Read the story ([link removed]) .


** From the editor
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“When journalists get arrested at protests in the United States, those images echo around the world and they send a message to so many places that this is the way police behave even in democratic countries,” Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, told The New York Times earlier this month ([link removed]) , as he announced plans to step down by the end of the year. “And therefore, arresting journalists at protests in Moscow or covering protests in Myanmar, which we’re seeing now, is less shocking and generates less attention.”

Nieman Reports explores how independent journalists in both Russia and Myanmar are responding to crackdowns on the free press, a struggle taking place around the world, from Hong Kong ([link removed]) to Nicaragua ([link removed]) to Zimbabwe ([link removed]) .

Elizaveta Kuznetsova profiles some of the Russian reporters and news organizations providing an independent alternative to federal networks ([link removed]) like RT. Though the space for free speech in Russia is shrinking — as exemplified by the Kremlin’s designation of Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation as “extremist” — these outlets are reaching audiences mistrustful of official government information, around the Covid-19 pandemic, for example.

In Myanmar, independent journalists who have not already been detained have largely gone into hiding for their own safety. Jared Downing describes how reporters are relying on grassroots networks of young amateur stringers, who funnel information to news outlets through VPN connections and single-use SIM cards. The situation in the country is bleak, but this generation of the Myanmar press has something its predecessors didn’t: the memory of democracy ([link removed]) .

“Of course, I’m afraid of being arrested,” one young journalist told Nieman Reports. “But if I don’t do this … no one will know what is happening in our country.”

Lessons from the Pandemic ([link removed]) , our essay collection exploring whether journalism can — or should — return to a pre-pandemic normal, continues with pieces by, among others, Kyle Edwards, managing editor of Native News Online ([link removed]) , on why Indian Country’s recovery from Covid-19 is just as newsworthy as the virus’s devastating impact on tribal communities ([link removed]) , and Deb Pastner, photo/multimedia director at the Star Tribune in Minneapolis ([link removed]) , which just won the Pulitzer for breaking news ([link removed]) for its coverage of the death of George Floyd, on why photojournalism can’t go back to business as usual ([link removed]) .

Look for more essays from this series in the weeks to come.

Sincerely,

James Geary
Editor, Nieman Reports


** Journalism in Myanmar: “An Apocalypse for The Media” ([link removed])
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While the old regime stifled the free press swiftly and decisively, Myanmar has a new generation of journalists and independent publications, and the new junta seems uncertain about what to do.
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** There Is an Open War on Facts and Truth. That’s Why We Need Accountability Reporting in Political Stories ([link removed])
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When conspiracies pass a tipping point, newsrooms working collectively to push out strong debunks can slow the spread of myths and misinformation.
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** In Polarized Times, Local Papers Need to Lean Even Harder into Tough Issues ([link removed])
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Local newsrooms should report with nuance, grace, and empathy — especially when covering political hot-button issues.
Read more ([link removed])


** More from Nieman Foundation publications:
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What journalists need to know when interviewing a transgender person ([link removed])
A transgender activist and former journalist urges reporters to move past the bathroom question and other false stereotypes.

Read more from Nieman Storyboard ([link removed]) .

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The Globe and Mail has built a paywall that knows when to give up ([link removed])
Some readers might never encounter a paywall, while others might see one every time they visit.

Read more from Nieman Lab ([link removed]) .
Read more from Nieman Reports ([link removed])
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