It seems that the iron curtain is falling around Russia. Since the beginning of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not only acted under cover of the rest of the world, but also of his own people who are left in a fog of censorship and lies.

Such manipulation of the Russian people has existed since the collapse of the Soviet Union, but has worsened considerably as Putin gains more to lose in his war against Ukraine.

However, just as a former abused child should not abuse their own child, the various accusations of war crimes committed by Russian soldiers against Ukrainian civilians, including rape and summary executions, cannot be excused by the mistreatment. inflicted by Putin on his people.

As atrocities pile up in Russian hands, far sharper attempts are being made to hide reports detailing the brutality of the war than before, as Russia has now banned 29 British journalists from reputable news outlets such as the BBC, the Times and Guardian newspapers, accusing them of providing biased information against Russia.

However, it is now the duty of the rest of the world’s journalists to hold Putin and Russia accountable as Russian journalists flee the country to avoid the repercussions that come with criticizing the government or remaining complicit even unknowingly. spew disinformation that the Kremlin approves of.

Although NATO countries’ coverage of what is happening to Ukraine at the hands of Russia is enough to put Putin on edge, the coverage continues to slowly fade into obscurity as the media, especially the American broadcast media, is caught up in sensationalism and opinion, not what is most relevant to the most people. In doing so, the real importance of the story is overshadowed by trying to sell a narrative to viewers instead of providing facts.

For example, gas prices are higher than ever in the United States due to the conflict with Russia, but leading news outlets, biased both left and right, are twisting the story based on what their own viewers want to hear, not what is most relevant.

CNN covers President Joe Biden’s speeches and what he is doing to counter inflation. Fox News blames inflation on Biden.

In reality, there’s not much Biden can do besides abandon Ukraine entirely to rein in gas prices, as inflation has happened due to America’s reliance on Russian oil.

The news cycle must continue in the interest of providing information, but in the interest of the human rights of Ukrainians, coverage of the war in Ukraine must also continue. Instead of following the hottest stories, it is imperative that the media, especially the media in democratic countries, set an example by doing serious and meaningful work through journalistic media.

​​Meg Diehl is a freshman journalism student at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The post office. What are your thoughts? Tell Meg by tweeting her at @irlbug.