February 27, 2023
How do journalists document life in war-torn countries and bear witness to military aggression and repression of dissent for the general public? Valerie Hopkins, international correspondent for the New York Times, compared her ongoing coverage of the Russo-Ukrainian War to her prior coverage of war crimes trials in the Balkans. Hopkins is one of a few foreign correspondents who have covered Russia’s war against Ukraine from both the Ukrainian and Russian sides of the border. One of the topics of discussion was how to ethically report on Russia’s war in light of the possibility of retaliation against Hopkins or against ordinary Russians who agreed to speak with her. Getting beyond the geopolitical complexities of the war, Hopkins’ talk centered on the war’s human cost, including the loss of life and the rupture of interpersonal relationships. In 2022, the Newswomen’s Club of New York awarded Hopkins the Marie Colvin Award for Foreign Correspondence in recognition of her “remarkable courage, empathy, and insight” in her reporting on Russia’s war against Ukraine (Phil Pan, International Editor of NYT). Hopkins worked for the Financial Times and earned a master’s degree from Columbia Journalism School prior to joining the New York Times.
The discussants were Valerie Hopkins (International Correspondent, NYT) and Marci Shore (Associate Professor of History). Yale MacMillan Center’s European Studies Council and the Poynter Fellowship in Journalism at Yale co-sponsored the event. The event was held under Chatham House Rules, which permit participants to use the information without disclosing the identity or affiliation of the speaker(s) or any other participant. The event took place at Luce Hall on Friday, January 27, 2023, and was held exclusively in person.