The Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREES) at the University of Michigan presents the CREES Distinguished Lecture on March 19. Jill Dougherty, former CNN Moscow Bureau Chief, will give the talk, titled “The Truth about Lies in International Relations: Reflections on the Media in Russia and Beyond.” Dougherty is an expert on the Russian government and media, and she will examine how Russia uses information, and disinformation, to achieve its strategic objectives. “We’re thrilled to have Jill deliver the CREES Distinguished Lecture on this important topic,” noted Professor Geneviève Zubrzycki, director of CREES and the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia. “She has a rare mix of professional experience and expertise, as she knows the media from within, has worked in Russia for years, and has specialized, in her graduate training, on propaganda. Her lecture will offer unique insight into the workings of the Russian media and provide much-needed historical context, too.” 

Jill Dougherty received a B.A. in Slavic languages and literatures from the University of Michigan and served as CNN correspondent for three decades, reporting from more than 50 countries. She is a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. and a CNN Contributor who provides expert commentary on Russia and the post-Soviet region. Ms. Dougherty joined CNN in 1983, and was appointed Moscow Bureau Chief in 1997. During nearly a decade in that post, she covered the presidencies of Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin, Russia’s post-Soviet economic transition, terrorist attacks, the conflict in Chechnya, Georgia’s Rose Revolution and Ukraine’s Orange Revolution. After a long career with CNN, Ms. Dougherty pursued academic interests, most recently as a Distinguished Visiting Practitioner at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. She has a certificate of language study from Leningrad State University and a master’s degree from Georgetown University. In addition to writing for CNN.com, her articles on international issues have appeared in the Washington Post, Huffington Post, and The Atlantic, among other publications. Jill Dougherty is also a member of track-two diplomatic initiatives seeking to improve the U.S.-Russia relationship.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

The Truth about Lies in International Relations: Reflections on the Media in Russia and Beyond
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
5:30-7:00 PM
1010 Weiser Hall, 500 Church St., Ann Arbor

Contact: Mary Elizabeth Malinkin / T: 734.764.0351 / E: crees@umich.edu


The University of Michigan Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREES) is dedicated to advancing and disseminating interdisciplinary knowledge about the peoples, nations, and cultures of Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, and Eurasia, past and present. Through its own academic programs and its support of area-focused training and scholarship across U-M's schools and colleges, CREES helps meet the nation’s ongoing need for experts with deep contextual knowledge who are proficient in the region's languages. CREES is an affiliate of the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia and constituent unit of the International Institute. For more information, visit ii.umich.edu/crees.

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