Brave Medic, NPR Snitches, Groundhog Day | Winners & Losers in Today’s Green Room

A Ukrainian medic was taken prisoner by the Russians after she provided journalists with shocking footage of the injuries she saw while treating people around Mariupol.

Yuliia Paievska recorded 256 gigabytes of video on a body cam she wore for over two weeks while she and her colleagues provided medical care to Ukrainian citizens and Russian soldiers alike. She gave the flash drive to reporters from the Associated Press, asking them to take it with them as they fled Mariupol back in March while they were being hunted by the Russians, and they managed to smuggle it through 15 Russian checkpoints hidden inside a tampon.

The AP released footage from Paievska’s excursions, showing her harrowing journeys into war-torn areas. One of the most emotional clips released shows her working to treat an injured young child, and then turning away in anguish, saying “I hate (this)” as it became apparent the boy would not survive.

On Mar. 16, Paievska and her driver were captured by the Russians. She has not been seen since Mar. 21, when her captors forced her to read a statement on television calling for an end to the fighting.

The bravery of Paievska and the AP journalists who helped transport her flash drive is unquestionable. We do not yet know Paievska’s fate, but the video she captured provides evidence of Russian war crimes and documents the real costs of this brutal war, and she need not have a byline or hold a press credential to be a media hero to us.

Employees at NPR could lose their jobs if they forget or refuse to wear masks, and a snitch hotline has been set up to ensure the rules are followed.

Dylan Byers of Puck News obtained an internal memo which encourages workers to tattle on those who dare show their faces in the work place. “NPR is maintaining a very strict mask policy, and has set up an HR tip line for employees to report on colleagues who are not adhering to guidelines—with the possible result of discipline and even termination,” he reported.

Covid-19 remains a real threat, with over a million American lives lost and new variants continuing to bring misery, and a private company can enact protocols it believes protect the health of its employees, but this snitch hotline is just plain creepy — not to mention contradicting principles that NPR’s own journalists have often espoused.

In fact, a quick search of NPR’s website finds multiple articles slamming legislation in various states that seeks to establish snitching schemes, such as Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill (dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” bill by critics) and abortion laws like those in Texas. These laws purport to establish a private cause of action, encouraging people with the lure of monetary damages to rat out teachers with prohibited curricula or women seeking abortions.

NPR wants its employees to wear masks? Fine. Encouraging employees to snitch on each other and threatening draconian penalties? All Things Considered, we’re not fans.