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Dmitry Muratov, winner of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, reflected on truth-telling in journalism amid the war in Ukraine as part of the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics鈥� Clough Colloquium series.

鈥淲e directly deal with the fact that we are facing nuclear disaster right now鈥攏uclear conflict鈥攑otentially as a result of propaganda,鈥� Muratov said. Russian propaganda, he continued, was one of the major factors contributing to the war in Ukraine and its recent developments.

鈥淧ropaganda always works for the state,鈥� Muratov said. 鈥淥ur media, yours and mine, work for people.鈥� He said media influence has a large effect in society today. During the Rwandan genocide in 1994, Muratov said radio stations transmitted hateful messages about the Tutsi people.

鈥淸A professor] studied the distribution of shortwave radio signals across Rwanda,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n those villages that received a strong signal, the people there would take a machete and they would go and massacre. In those villages that did not have a strong signal 鈥� no one ever had any idea of committing any massacre.鈥�

Propaganda has two principles, according to Muratov. The first is that it uses recognizable historical events and experiences to perpetuate a narrative. The second is that it pushes the narrative that propagandists are the victims. Muratov said the Russian government has done both of these.

鈥淚n this particular case, [the Russian government said] that we never wanted to attack anyone, but we had to,鈥� Muratov said. 鈥淲e had no choice [but] to defend ourselves.鈥�

Many reporting from the ground in Ukraine have been influenced by 鈥渘ew journalism,鈥� Muratov said. 鈥淣ew journalism鈥� helps reporters to work in the field and with big data.

Journalism has also played an important role in the perceptions of Russia and Ukraine during the war. According to Muratov, it is important to consider Ukrainians鈥� perception of Russia because this perception will remain for years to come.

鈥淯kraine perceived the attack as a betrayal and they will never forgive Russia,鈥� Muratov said. 鈥淲e will be long dead and Ukraine will still hold grudges against them.鈥� According to Muratov, Russian President Vladimir Putin has written that Ukraine鈥檚 existence in itself was a mistake made by Vladimir Lenin.

鈥淸According to Putin], Ukraine has always been a mistake, and there is no such thing as Ukraine鈥攋ust a mistake,鈥� Muratov said. 鈥淪o, to satisfy this historical illusion, the war [in Ukraine] has begun.鈥�

To raise money for Ukrainian children affected by the war, Muratov sold his Nobel Peace Prize medal in June. Muratov praised former President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, who also sold his Nobel Peace Prize medal to help others, for his work to create peace.

According to Muratov, Gorbachev gave the Russian people an invaluable gift when he served as president. Russian propaganda, he said, has put this gift in jeopardy.

鈥淗e gave us a gift鈥攁 gift of 30 years of peace,鈥� Muratov said. 鈥淎nd now the gift is no more.鈥�听

Adapted from by Alexis Thomas 鈥�25