Vadim Isakov

I had never really thought about what freedom meant to me or what physical object meant freedom to me. When Vadim Isakov asked our class, “What is the physical representation of freedom for you?” I responded with “Washington D.C, our nation’s capital”. Isakov is a journalist originally from Uzbekistan who moved to the United States around a year ago. He saw freedom in a different light.

Being a United States citizen, we have no idea what freedom feels like. Most of our generations were born with the freedom of press, freedom of speech, right to assemble and many other freedoms that come along with the First Amendment. 

When Isakov arrived in America he went to a local bookstore and stood in front of the political section. We have no idea what that freedom means, and it’s hard to feel that sense and that feeling since we have not had any experiences that make us realize really how amazing America is.

Isakov explained that, to be a journalist, you had to be accredited by the government, and be “a true patriot” of your country. That means that you can only write positive information about your country. There is a saying in Uzbekistan that is sad but true, “If you haven’t been beaten up your not a real journalist.”

Isakov said something that shocked me with his sincerity. 

“Your life doesn’t matter,” he said. “The public’s right to know is what matters.”

It’s remarkable that he could have such commitment to his job or his lifestyle of a journalist that he would sacrifice his life for the public’s knowledge.

Vadim Isakov: Finding Freedom

Freedom of Speech. Freedom of Religion. Freedom of Press. The right to petition. The right to assemble. These five freedoms, outlined in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, were designated to protect the rights of the people. Many of them are exercised in daily life. But, unless you’re a journalist, you may find that you often take for granted the freedom of the press. 

Vadim Isakov, a journalist from Uzbekistan, does not seek freedom in the Statue of Liberty or other national monuments. When he first returned to America after working as a journalist in Uzbekistan, Isakov went to a bookstore and stood in front of the political section.

“I felt the greatest sense of freedom,” Isakov said, “that I had never felt before in my life.”

A journalist working under a dictatorship, Isakov was often threatened by the government to deter him from publicly criticizing government officials. 

“If you haven’t been beaten up, you’re not a real journalist,” Isakov said, describing the mantra of journalists working in Uzbekistan. 

Here in the United States, a journalist is free to write scathing remarks about the government. Woodward and Bernstein of The Washington Post broke the scandal surrounding President Nixon. A whole category of investigative journalism exists to encourage journalists to find the truth. 

Until I heard Isakov speak, the idea of freedom of the press was just four words to me. Now, I have a greater understanding of the meaning behind these words and have received a charge, as a journalist, to take full advantage of my freedom of the press.

Remarkable Writing

I came across this story about two weeks ago when I was looking for stories for Phoenix 14. 

The story is about a Gibsonville man who wants a town ordinance banning the use of firearms against squirrels revoked. He grows pecans in his backyard and says that the squirrels have eaten $600 worth of the nuts right off the trees. He says that traps only deter them, not stop them, and wants to shoot them to protect his pecans in later years.

The best part of this story was the lede. “Nearly a year after the town outlawed the use of firearms against squirrels, the crafty critters have gnawed their way back into discussion at Town Hall.”

I thought this lede was very funny but also very creative. It remains in AP style, but uses the italicized words above to invoke an image of a critter working its way to bring up an issue that was believed to be closed that also appeals to the behavior of squirrels. 

It’s a little quirky, but I don’t think any other lede for this story could have been done any better.