Project Klebnikov

Infobox Organization
name = Project Klebnikov


size =
caption =
formation = July 9, 2005
type = Global media alliance
status =
purpose = Investigating 2004 murder of journalist Paul Klebnikov
headquarters = New York, New York
location = 520 Hudson Street
region_served =International
membership =
language = English, Russian
leader_title = Director
leader_name = Richard Behar
main_organ =
affiliations = [http://www.projectklebnikov.org/members-partners.html Partners and Members]
num_staff =
num_volunteers =
budget =
website = [http://www.projectklebnikov.org/ www.projectklebnikov.org]
remarks =

Project Klebnikov is a global media alliance dedicated to investigating the July 2004 murder of journalist Paul Klebnikov and other subjects.cite book | last = Weiss | first = Gary | authorlink =Gary Weiss | title = Wall Street Versus America | publisher = Portfolio | date = 2007 | pages = i | isbn = 1591841631] The organization's goals also include investigating cases of other journalists killed in Russia, [cite news | last =Staff | title =Klebnikov Suspect Skips Court Again | work =The Moscow Times | date =2007-03-15 ] continuing Klebnikov's legacy of investigative journalism, [cite news | last = Weiss, Gary | title = Murder In Russia | work = Forbes | publisher = Forbes.com LLC | date = 2007-01-30 | url = http://www.forbes.com/2007/01/30/muckraker-klebnikov-murder-oped-cx_gw_0130weiss.html | accessdate =2008-07-14 ] and providing an international media collaboration for journalists to work together on stories that may be too dangerous or complicated for one organization.cite news | last = Staff | title = Journalists investigate murder of editor; Greene to consult | work = The IRE Journal | publisher = Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. | date = November/December 2005 | url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3720/is_200511/ai_n15846235 | accessdate =2008-07-14 ] Klebnikov was the editor in chief of "Forbes" magazine's Russian language edition. Project Klebnikov's operations are based out of New York, New York. [cite news | last =Murphy | first =Kim | title =U.S. Journalist's Shooting Prompts Mystery | work =Los Angeles Times | date =2006-02-14 ]

The organization was founded in July 2005, [cite news | last = Staff | title = US Journalists Investigate Klebnikov Murder | work = The Moscow Times | date = 2005-07-15 | url = http://www.moscowtimes.ru/article/850/49/221889.htm | accessdate =2008-07-14 ] and is comprised of over 20 journalists,cite news | last =Mainville | first =Michael | title =Questions remain in murder of U.S. editor - Moscow Calls for an open trial denied as Chechens are secretly tried as assassins, writes Michael Mainville Moscow | work =The Toronto Star | page =A15 | publisher =Toronto Star Newspapers Limited | date =2006-01-29 ] and partner media companies. [cite news | last = Brown | first = Heidi | coauthors = Andrew Gillies | title = Back To Square One | work = Forbes | publisher = Forbes.com LLC | date = 2006-05-05 | url = http://www.forbes.com/2006/05/05/klebnikov-verdict-innocent-cz_hb_0505klebnikov_2.html | accessdate =2008-07-14 ] The organization has an international representation of investigative journalists, [cite news | last = CBS News | title = The Man Who Knew Too Much: "48 Hours Mystery" Reports On Murder Of U.S. Journalist In Moscow | work = 48 Hours Mystery | publisher = CBS | date = 2006-07-01 | url = http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/04/28/48hours/main691763_page12.shtml | accessdate = 2008-07-14] including individuals from "Vanity Fair", "60 Minutes", New York University's department of journalism, "The Economist", Bloomberg News and "Forbes".cite news | last =Gershman
title =Unusual U.S.-Russian Reporting Team To Probe Editor's Murder in Moscow | work =The New York Sun | date =2005-09-15 ] cite news | last = Franchetti | first = Mark | title = Journalists turn detective to seek murderers of Moscow editor | work = The Sunday Times | pages = 26 | date = 2005-07-24] It was launched on by eight journalists from Bloomberg, "Vanity Fair" and "Forbes" on July 9, 2005, [cite news | last =Nikolskiy | first =Aleksey | coauthors =Kirill Koryukin | title =U.S. journalists to investigate the murder of Paul Klebnikov | work =RusData Dialine - Russian Press Digest | date =2005-07-15 ] the anniversary of Klebnikov's murder. [cite news | last = Rajpal, Monita | title = Critique of Worldwide Media Coverage | work = International Correspondents | publisher = CNN | date = 2005-08-27 | url = http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0508/27/i_c.01.html | accessdate =2008-07-14] The organization functions as a "virtual bureau", and journalists share background material, leads, and documents with each other pertaining to sensitive cases. Member journalists share information with each other on cases through a confidential database accessible via the Internet.

Journalists were skeptical of claims by prosecutors that Klebnikov was murdered by Chechen mercenaries, and the organization was founded with the intent to investigate further Klebnikov's research into financial corruption in Russia. [cite news | last = Deibel | first = Mary | title = Insurance against terrorism ... John Roberts doll ... More | work = Scripps Howard News Service | publisher = www.knoxstudio.com | date = 2005-07-22 | url = http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=WASHCALL-07-22-05&cat=WW | accessdate =2008-07-14 ] After its formation the organization's journalists began to investigate leads into Klebnikov's death, including five main theories.cite news | last = Staff | title = The murder of American journalist | work = The Washington Times | pages = A18 | publisher = News World Communications | date = 2005-07-20 ] One theory focused on Chechen separatist Khozh-Ahmed Noukhayev with whom Klebnikov conducted a series of interviews, another was based in London, and a third theory was based in Moscow.

Journalist Richard Behar serves as the organization's director. [cite news | last = Goodman | first = Amy | title = Anna Politkovskaya, Prominent Russian Journalist, Putin Critic and Human Rights Activist, Murdered in Moscow | work = Democracy Now! | date =2006-10-09|url=http://www.democracynow.org/2006/10/9/anna_politkovskaya_prominent_russian_journalist_putin | accessdate =2008-07-14 ] Behar commented on the multiple killings of journalists in Russia: "We haven't done enough to shine a light on the filth and corruption in Russia that allows journalists to be knocked off, one after another." [cite news | last = Mainville | first = Michael | title = The silencing of Anna: Russia's great journalist was gunned down by killers who may have been contracted to snuff out her investigation of government torture | work = Salon News | publisher = Salon Media Group, Inc. | date = 2006-10-13 | url = http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/10/13/politkovskaya/index1.html | accessdate =2008-07-14 ] Behar explained his motivation in directing the organization, saying: "I felt that something needed to be done for Paul, for journalism and for Russia. Paul was working on a number of sensitive projects and I want us to take up from where he left." Behar believes that the best person to help with the organization would have been Paul Klebnikov himself.

ee also

*List of journalists killed in Russia

References

Further reading

*cite news | last = Behar, Richard | title = Justice Disserved? - A reasonable person may wonder what it takes to find someone guilty of a crime in Moscow | work = Forbes | date = 2006-06-06 | url = http://www.forbes.com/global/2006/0605/068a.html

External links

* [http://www.projectklebnikov.org/ Project Klebnikov - The global media alliance] , organization's home page