15 Pioneering Female Journalists

USPECIFIED, RUSSIA – UNDATED: (FILE PHOTO) In this undated file photo, Independent Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, a highly respected and tireless investigative reporter and author is pictured at work. Politkovskaya, who was murdered in an execution-style slaying October 7, 2006, devoted much of her career to shining a light on human rights abuses and other atrocities of the war in Chechnya as well as the plight of Chechen refugees. (Photo by Novaya Gazeta/Epsilon/Getty Images)

11. Anna Politkovskaya

Similarly to other reporters, Anna Politkovskaya made her reputation reporting on the conflicts in Chechnya. Though she spent much of her time in Russia (and held dual citizenship in both Russia and the United States), Anna was actually born in New York City in 1958. Her parents, both Ukrainian, were Soviet diplomats at the United Nations. However, she spent much of her childhood in Moscow. There, she graduated from the Moscow State University’s journalism school in 1980.

Politkovskaya worked at numerous Russian news outlets, including Izvestia, Obshchaya Gazeta, and Novaya Gazeta. Novaya Gazeta was especially critical of the post-Soviet regime. Politkovskaya wrote editorials for the newspaper and took part in investigative reporting there.

In the West, she won numerous awards for her work, though her recognition in her Russian homeland was spotty at best. Nevertheless, she continued with her journalism in Chechnya. She was especially critical of the war in the region and of the pro-Russian government there. Politkovskaya did not shy away from describing the brutality that visited both military personnel as well as the civilians caught between opposing sides.

With the rise of Vladimir Putin, Politkovskaya became ever more critical of both him and the Russian government. Her critical attitude often hampered Politkovskaya’s access to Russian officials. She also experienced numerous attacks, including attempted poisonings, detentions, torture, and many other threats. In 2006, she killed in her apartment block’s elevator, the victim of an apparent assassination.