The New Yorker's publication of a piece by Masha Gessen on Ukraine's prolonged fight for survival has sparked criticism from Ukrainians. Many believe that non-Ukrainians, particularly those with ties to the former USSR, shouldn't be the ones writing about Ukraine. The piece has been labeled as colonialist and undemocratic, with calls for the publication to seek the opinions of Ukrainians directly.
Instead of letting Masha Gessen lecturing the Ukrainians in colonialist way on what is democracy, @NewYorker would have better asked Ukrainians what they think about war-time election. We at @euroresilience asked 🇺🇦expert Maxym Vikhrov, read his opinion: https://t.co/A0ap8HWwmX .
A few words about @mashagessen's piece for @NewYorker talking about the "democracy in darkness in Ukraine" – mainly about the criticism it is getting from many Ukrainians. Why are we angry and frustrated with this piece? 1/9
The critique is this- Ukraine has been one of the most poorly-covered places in international media. If you don't live here, speak the language, and have some serious background knowledge, you probably shouldn't be opening as a journo. No, being born in the USSR doesn't count. https://t.co/Zbw4bq3CGY
I see people calling @mashagessen a coloniser over their Ukraine piece - conveniently forgetting that they’re Jewish. If we play this weird oppression olympics to determine who gets to write about Ukraine, shouldn’t the region’s most oppressed people — Jews — be front & center?
Ukrainian voices that I follow are deeply upset by the @NewYorker's decision to run this piece on Ukraine's democracy by @mashagessen, a USSR-born American journalist. I think this in generally unfair - to judge a text or opinion by the ethnicity or background of its author.… https://t.co/ZRnwRVzd8X
Oh shut the fuck up, @NewYorker . Why must we always have russians and foreigners getting to write the long reads on Ukraine while Ukrainians can't get a book published? https://t.co/QGLVFI28Re
As the war in Ukraine drags on, a prevailing mood of weariness has settled in. @mashagessen reports on the political, social, and economic repercussions of the country’s prolonged fight for survival. https://t.co/K6EeYTScVX