Anna Klebnikov Brinsmade's Remarks at the 2005 Overseas Press Club Dinner honoring Paul Klebnikov
Overseas Press Club
April 27, 2005
Thank you to Overseas Press Club and the Board for this honor.
As we light this candle, I can't help but think: In countries where the truth is under attack, journalists are often the light-givers.
As children, we all dream of changing the world. My brother Paul hung on to his dream and realized it.
Paul Klebnikov was a fighter for the truth and for human rights: the right of people to know the truth, to live a decent life in economic and personal security, to be confident that those in power are held accountable for their actions. He believed in the American principles of justice and fair play, and in standing up for the little guy.
The best way to deliver this message, Paul believed, was through journalism. He had been to countries where a free press is absent, and he was convinced of the transformative power of journalism. He practiced journalism at its most vital.
It is strange, in our secure and democratic country, to come across a journalist practicing civic reform. But part of the reason Paul felt so strongly about his work in Russia was because of the flagrant theft and corruption that took place during privatization. He simply felt that it was morally wrong that unscrupulous individuals amassed billions while most ordinary people were left in abject poverty. This was not capitalism — it was gangster capitalism — and he felt it was important to expose it. A press crippled by fear cannot play the role democracy demands of it, he believed.
Paul was the 11th journalist killed in a contract murder since Vladimir Putin has come to power. We hope that Paul's killers and those who ordered his execution are brought to justice.
However, it is the media, especially the U.S. media, which can ensure that everyone responsible for this crime is prosecuted. The support of fellow journalists is key to showing criminals that it is not o.k. to murder someone whose only offense was to speak the truth. The enemies of a free press must know that if you kill one journalist, a dozen more will continue his work.
In recent weeks, we have been approached by a number of journalists wishing to work together to help identify the perpetrators of this crime and to continue Paul's work of exposing corruption in Russia. We'd be glad to put any of you in touch with them.
To continue Paul's vision of training a new generation of journalists, we have started the PK Fund, and we will finance internships for the most dynamic Russian journalists at western media organizations.
The response of American journalists, including OPC members, since Paul's assassination has been truly heart warming. Paul was convinced that the truth was stronger and this conviction carried him through life. Those who killed him were afraid of the truth. Human nature being what it is, his death will inspire a new generation of truth seekers. Thank you for not forgetting our brother and the things he lived and died for.
