Journalists under fire in Russian invasion of Ukraine

NEWS AND OPINION:

Multiple news reports confirm that journalists are under fire in Ukraine — such as a Sky News crew recently ambushed in their vehicle outside Kyiv, despite their prominently displayed press identification. Two were shot.

The team, however, continued their coverage and documented the event — and were eventually evacuated. The resulting video was viewed on Sky News, of course. Another 4 million people watched on YouTube in the hours that followed.

“Their experience illustrates the scale of the mayhem and violence as Russia’s invasion enters a new and deadlier phase,” Sky News said in its coverage of the incident.

Four journalists have been injured by gunfire since Feb. 24, according to Reporters Without Borders, a Paris-based independent nonprofit promoting freedom of information.

Helmeted journalists in body armor from multiple news organizations continue to dodge bullets and bombardment. Washington Times reporter Joe Clark, incidentally, has recently reported from Lviv, Ukraine.

“The journalism coming out of Ukraine is very impressive and a reminder to all of why the role of an independent press is so vital during times of war. Through the courage and skill of Ukrainian, European, American, and other foreign journalists covering Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we are better able to see and understand what is happening to the Ukrainian people as they fight for their democracy,” said Jen Judson, president of the National Press Club, and Gil Klein, president of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, in a joint statement.

“With the Kremlin’s censorship tactics and media crackdown reaching depths not seen since the darkest days of the Cold War, it’s apparent that the battle for public opinion could be just as consequential for the future of Ukraine as the military and humanitarian assistance that Kyiv is seeking,” they said.

“We are greatly concerned by reports of a growing number of incidents of journalists coming under fire by Russian forces,” the two noted.

Other sorts of attacks on a free press are coming.

“Free speech and reporting may be another casualty of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and President Putin signed a law making the airing of what the government calls false information about the armed forces illegal. Journalists could be jailed for up to 15 years,” National Public Radio reported last week.

AN EXODUS OF BIG BRANDS

“The soft power of economics and culture is power,” advises AdWeek, noting that over 300 major brands have ceased their Russian operations to protest the war on Ukraine.

“Along with Western nations’ sanctions, brands’ exodus from Russia applies pressure to Russian citizens and power brokers whose support can either fuel or sap the nation’s energy for war. The loss of billions of dollars to Russia all at once has real consequences. Money matters in war. And symbols like McDonald’s Golden Arches send a real message,” the industry publication said.

So what major companies have left Russia or ceased deliveries to the nation? Here’s a handy list compiled by CBS News.

Among energy companies: BP, ExxonMobil and Shell. In the transportation category, Airbus, Boeing, Daimler Truck, Ferrari, Ford, Harley-Davidson, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.

Consumer-centered companies include Adidas, Airbnb, Budvar and Carlsberg breweries, Disney, Estee Lauder, H&M, Ikea, Nike, Richemont, Swatch Group, TJX Cos (owner of Marshall’s, TJ Maxx and Home Goods), General Electric, Honeywell, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Starbucks, Nestle, Papa John’s, and Unilever.

Carnegie Hall, Metropolitan Opera and Live Nation also have suspended operations with Russia — along with Discover, Moody’s, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, FedEx, UPS, Netflix, Apple, Dell, Fortinet, Meta, Spotify, Trimble and TikTok.

BUT DID THEY READ IT?

So did lawmakers actually read the massive $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill currently weighing down Congress? Time itself may tell.

“Clocking in at 2,741 pages of legislative text and 2,413 pages of Explanatory Materials, this omnibus spending bill is massive. An above average college student can read about 13 pages of technical material an hour, meaning it would take 396 hours to read and understand what is in the omnibus,” reports Matthew Dickerson, a scholar at the Heritage Foundation.

He provides much more insight in a comprehensive analysis titled “8 Ways the Massive Omnibus Spending Bill Is a Mistake.” Find it at Heritage.org.

AND ABOUT THAT OIL BAN

Some informed observers are looking askance at the emerging White House energy policy, which includes a ban on Russian oil.

“Any ban on Russian oil imports will harm the economy unless combined with a U-turn in President Biden’s disastrous anti-energy policies, which have already contributed to much higher gasoline prices. The Biden administration should begin by undoing every action they have taken to reverse the Trump administration’s energy abundance agenda,” said Myron Ebell, director of the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Center for Energy and Environment, in a statement shared with “Inside the Beltway.”

Steve Milloy, founder of JunkScience.com, advised in a statement about the nature of the oil market.

“While we should not be funding Putin’s war against Ukraine by buying Russian oil, the reality is that oil is a global commodity. So Putin will sell his oil elsewhere, like China, and global prices will continue to rise. The only way out of this crisis is to unleash the U.S. energy industry, which the Biden regime refuses to do because doing so would wreck its pointless and economically disastrous climate agenda,” he said in a statement.

And Gregory Wrightstone, a geologist and executive director of the non-profit CO2 Coalition, says that “drilling for gas and oil and mining coal always has made sense. In light of today’s geopolitics, there is no higher calling.”

POLL DU JOUR

• 61% of U.S. adults think there will be higher gas prices in six months; 77% of Republicans, 67% of independents and 45% of Democrats agree.

• 15% overall say gas prices will be the same; 10% of Republicans, 11% of independents and 22% of Democrats agree.

• 12% overall think there will be lower gas prices; 7% of Republicans, 10% of independents and 18% of Democrats agree.

• 13% overall are not sure what will happen; 6% of Republicans, 12% of independents and 15% of Democrats agree.

SOURCE: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted March 5-8.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.