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Evan Gershkovich loves Russia. His family speaks Russian at home. He has lived in Russia for many years, working as a journalist Somebody who writes about the latest news for newspapers and magazines or explains the news on television. . Now, he could end up spending 20 years in a Russian prison after being arrestedStopped by the police and taken to a police station. and accused of spying.

Most people outside of Russia do not believe that Gershkovich is a spy. He is trying to stay positive. In a letter to his parents, he made a joke about the food in prison.

Many say he has become a symbol of something important but rare: the freedom for the pressPeople, such as journalists and photographers, who work for newspapers, magazines, television news shows and more. to speak without fear.

Journalists across the world write about powerful people. If people use their power for the wrong reasons, journalists will try to tell the world. Many say a free press is an important part of democracyA system of government based on the idea of rule by the people..

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Yet in many countries, journalists cannot report freely. A third of the world's people live in countries with no press freedom.

Some journalists have even been killed or sent to prison.

Some call journalists heroes. Others say they are simply doing their job. And they point out that in the past, newspapers have printed information that is not always true, but rather fits in with a story they are trying to tell.

Yes! Without a free press, there is no freedom at all. We need a free press so that powerful people do not use their power to do wrong.

No! Some journalists have done heroic things. But others have simply repeated the words of powerful people and politicians without questioning them.