Yelena Masyuk

Yelena Vasilyevna Masyuk (born 24 January 1966) is a Russian television journalist known for her coverage of the First and Second Chechen Wars.

Journalism Masyuk graduated from Moscow State University with a degree in journalism. In 1994, she began working for the then-independent television station NTV, covering the First Chechen War. She was also noted for the quality of her contacts within Chechnya. Despite orders from many local governments that it not be allowed to air, the documentary was shown widely across Russia. Masyuk was threatened directly with prosecution following an interview in the Nozhnay-Yurtovsky Rayon with Chechen field commander Shamil Basayev immediately after the Budyonnovsk hospital hostage crisis, in which Basayev succeeded in taking over 1,000 civilian hostages.

Vladimir Zhirinovsky, founder of the strongly nationalist Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, accused Masyuk in 1996 of being on the payroll of Chechen separatists. Masyuk took Zhirinovsky to court for slander, and in December 1997, the court ordered him to publicly apologize and to pay Masyuk $5,000 in damages.

Abduction In early 1997, Masyuk had been pulled from a Chechen assignment due to threats against her. During this time, Amnesty International announced a campaign for her release, as did The Committee to Protect Journalists.

Masyuk later commented that she felt the kidnappings had been tactically foolish by the rebels in terms of public image: "Chechens made $16 million on journalists last year, but they lost much more ... They lost the journalists' confidence that they had had during the war."

Awards and recognition Masyuk was named a Duke University media fellow in 1995, teaching at the DeWitt Wallace Center for Communications and Journalism. Following her release from captivity in 1997, she also won the International Press Freedom Award of the Committee to Protect Journalists.

She is a member of Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights.