The world of reporting from the former Soviet sphere has been turned on  its head. No longer do journalists based in Moscow report on the affairs  of the regions. Kyiv is now the ground zero of narratives emerging from  the region, and a Moscow-centric lens has shifted to become a Ukrainian  lens for the Western media. There are now relatively few Western voices  on the ground in Russia. So how can the media remain objective and  avoid the bias that comes from lack of first-hand reporting.  

 James Rodgers is an Associate Professor in International Journalism and  Assistant Vice-President of Global Engagement at City, University of  London. He is an academic, veteran journalist, and author of the  fascinating book “Assignment Moscow – Reporting on Russia from Lenin to  Putin.” He has also written incisively about reporting on the  Israeli-Palestinian Conflict and is an expert on the reporting of armed  conflict, and journalism in history. He is also widely published in  online and print publications, and academic journals, including NBC  Think, History Today, The New European, and The British Journalism  Review.