The recent killing of Russian broadcast journalist Kazbek Gekkiyev has served as a disturbing reminder just how dangerous Russia remains for media practitioners, bringing fresh memories of all the well known victims from Paul Klebnikov to Anna Politkovskaya and Anastasia Baburova.  A recent editorial published by Gazeta.ru makes the argument that journalists are never going to be safe in Russia until society begins to understand the true value of freedom of information.  Below is a translation of the article.

The Price of Information

Only society can provide protection and support for journalists

The authorities are not concerned over the safety of journalists, especially those who portray the government in ways it prefers not be shown. And in reality, only society can protect the media. Of course, that’s only if society is interested in freedom of information and its control over the state machine.

On Wednesday night, the 26-year-old journalist Kazbek Gekkiev was murdered in Nalchik. “Perhaps, the most important right of the person, the right to life, was violated. And apparently it is also connected to the right to information because a victim was a journalist”, – Putin said, expressing his confidence that “our law enforcement agencies will do everything to find and punish the criminals involved.”