Moscow Times opinion editor Charlie Hancock discusses the challenges of commissioning commentary on Russia amid the war in Ukraine

Opinion journalism on Russia has become a high-stakes enterprise since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, shaped by audiences sharply divided by politics and geography. At the center of these pressures are editors tasked with deciding which arguments deserve a platform, how much context readers need, and what constitutes responsible discourse. Few desks confront these challenges more directly than the opinion section of The Moscow Times. Against that backdrop, The Naked Pravda spoke with Charlie Hancock, the outlet’s opinion editor, about how the job has changed in recent years. In the interview, Hancock describes her path into Russia-focused journalism, the unexpected editorial challenges that emerged early in the war, and the debates that now shape opinion writing on Russia. She also discusses navigating legal and political constraints, handling reader criticism, and balancing sharply divergent viewpoints while maintaining editorial coherence — and her own sanity. Timestamps for this episode: (3:16) Unexpected editorial challenges(6:58) Handling criticism and reader engagement(8:36) Publishing under Russian state repression(18:35) Navigating legal and political constraints(20:39) Balancing diverse opinionsКак поддержать нашу редакцию — даже если вы в России и вам очень страшно