Journalism in the shadow of death and Putin

It is 11am and the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta is holding its editorial conference. Seated at the top of a long, wooden table, Dmitry Muratov, the paper’s bearded editor-in-chief, is flanked by his senior team. Over cups of tea, the journalists mull over the morning papers. They discuss ongoing projects and possible stories: the Kremlin is spending more on propaganda; migrant workers in are leaving; there is trouble in Chechnya. Oh, and two fed-up hacks working for Russian television have locked themselves in a cupboard. The mood is good-natured; there are arguments and jokes. But nobody doubts the seriousness of Novaya Gazeta. On the wall is a photo-gallery of dead colleagues. There is…

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