Highlighting the role of independent journalism in Timothy Snyder’s works in the context of political transformations and the concept of freedom

Abstract

The article deals with the study of the works by an American scholar and public intellectual, Timothy Snyder, which examine the importance of the media during times of political challenges and the danger of losing the concept of truth. The relevance of the research is determined by the need to examine the problem of the decline of journalism in the era of social media and artificial intelligence, which leads to insufficient coverage of certain topics, the spread of fake news, and, overall, to silence and manipulation. The subject of the research is Timothy Snyder’s books Our Malady: Lessons in Liberty from a Hospital Diary, On Freedom, and The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America, which explore the contemporary political situation and the issue of freedom in the 21st century within the context of journalism. The aim is to outline the necessity of independent journalism in a period of modern changes and threats. During the scientific research the following methods were used: comparative, historical, system analysis, content analysis, and others. The novelty of the research lies in the emphasis on highlighting the importance of independent journalism in Timothy Snyder’s publicistic and popular-scientific texts through the prism of geopolitical challenges and the decline of value orientations.

As a result of studying Timothy Snyder’s works, the political dynamics and international security risks highlighted by the publicist were outlined, and the importance of journalism in the context of contemporary changes was emphasised. In particular, it was found that at present, lies and propaganda spread instantly, so independent journalism must respond quickly and prevent the distortion of information; future generations will be able to learn about our time thanks to the persistent work of reporters. The article highlights the trend of the disappearance of local press, which leads not only to the ignorance of citizens, but also to the loss of the very idea of truth, because a lack of information causes vulnerability to lies and manipulation. It was also emphasised that independent journalism is impossible in an undemocratic society and, conversely, democracy cannot exist without media freedom. Timothy Snyder emphasizes that the state has a duty to protect truth-tellers — people who reveal the truth to the world, often at the cost of their own lives. He also notes that only journalists enable us to see the state of the world, which is necessary if we want to cultivate democratic values.