The Naked Pravda interviews journalist and author Jill Dougherty about her new memoir, My Russia: What I Saw Inside the Kremlin, where she recounts her experiences studying and working in Russia. Dougherty talks about early influences, such as discovering the Russian language through an eccentric schoolteacher and later watching the Moon landing from a Leningrad dormitory. She shares insights from her decades-long career at CNN, covering key events from the presidencies of Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, and Vladimir Putin. Dougherty also discussed contemporary challenges in understanding Russia, restrictions on Western journalists, and the implications for future Russia experts.
Timestamps for this episode:
- (4:14) Writing the book: the personal and the professional
- (8:35) Reflections on decades of reporting
- (17:09) The potential impact of limited access to Russia
- (25:57) The Moon landing
- (26:57) Dougherty's father and Vladimir Putin
- (35:03) Challenges for future Russia experts
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Sound editing by Kevin Rothrock