The U.S. was founded upon the idea that men were endowed with basic human rights and, throughout history, has worked to correct the wrongs of the past and move toward a future where everyone’s inalienable rights are protected.
But these rights are not universal ideas.
Randy Covington, a journalism professor in the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies, was in Russia in October of last year to teach investigative journalism workshop with Joe Bergantino, the executive director, managing editor and co-founder of the New England Center for Investigative Reporting. On Oct. 16, Russian authorities arrived at the workshop in St. Petersburg, and detained Covington and Bergantino for five hours before releasing them and shutting down the workshop.
“We take an awful lot for granted," Covington said. "And we may complain about things here, but when you look at the world from different perspectives, different cultures, different countries, different world views, you can see how really fortunate we are here."
Covington teaches classes revolving around new media and ethics in journalism; one of his goals while teaching is to open students’ eyes to the similarities and differences of nations around the world.
“I think that it’s helpful to realize that being plugged into what’s happening in the world is part of being a good citizen and part of making the world better," he said.
Covington explained that the media is seen as an aide to the government in places like Russia. In the U.S., the media is used as a check for the government, he said — shutting down the workshop served as a warning to Russian journalists.
“The issue here is how do you have progress in a society if the media isn’t free?" Covington asked. "How do you have progress in a society if the role of the news media simply is to say ‘Aren’t things great? We need to support the people in power.’”
Covington recalled that his students always have an opinion, whether it's about Obamacare, the New England Patriots or parking on campus.
But the day he left Russia, he understood that not everyone felt so free to express him or herself.
After class was shut down, Covington ran into two Russian students who were enrolled in the course. They wanted to discuss what had happened.
“I said, ‘What do you think about that?’ I have never seen so much fear in anyone’s eyes in my life, and they wouldn’t say a word. As I’m standing there, looking at them, I thought about our students at the University of South Carolina,” Covington said. “The fact that these bright, young people were frightened to express an opinion left a lasting impression.”
Covington's thought is that it's the media’s job to utilize the right to free speech and help bring about change.
"Knowledge, free flow of information, is very powerful,” he said. “If we in the news media can’t address those things honestly it’s hard to get them fixed.
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