Pulitzer Prize Winner to Deliver 2026 Marie Colvin Distinguished Lecture

Renowned Russian politician and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza will give the annual Marie Colvin Distinguished Lecture on Tuesday, March 10.

Kara-Murza won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for writings from his prison cell for The Washington Post. He was arrested in Moscow in 2022 and sentenced to 25 years for "high treason" for opposing the invasion of Ukraine. Kara-Murza spent more than two years in prison, including 11 months in solitary confinement. He was released in 2024 in the largest prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia since the Cold War.

The theme of this year's lecture is "Vladimir Putin's War on Truth." The Russian dictator has relentlessly silenced independent media voices since coming to power. Yet there are many Russians, including journalists, who are willing to speak out - often at the cost of their personal freedom. Kara-Murza is one of them.

"We are proud to host Vladimir Kara-Murza here on the Stony Brook campus. He is unafraid to stand up for journalism, even when it is life-threatening," said Stephanie Kelton, interim dean of the School of Communication and Journalism. "The opportunity to host a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist of Vladimir's stature provides our students with an up-close look at what it's like to fight for truth in a highly oppressive regime."

In his talk, Kara-Murza will investigate the history of media suppression in Russia. Putin cracked down on Russia's remaining independent news outlets with the invasion of Ukraine, severely censoring content on the internet and social media, and criminalizing those who opposed the war.

"For more than a quarter-century, Vladimir Putin has been waging a war on truth, silencing independent media, imprisoning, and murdering journalists," Kara-Murza told SBU News. "Today's Russia exists in a truly Orwellian reality where 'war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength.'"

He added, "Despite the dangers and the repression, there are still many courageous journalists who are willing to speak truth to power - and by doing so are keeping alive the hope for a better Russia of tomorrow."

Kara-Murza serves as vice president at the Free Russia Foundation, chairman of the Freedom for Political Prisoners Initiative at the McCain Institute, senior advisor at Human Rights First and senior fellow at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights.

This event is hosted by the Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting at Stony Brook University's School of Communication and Journalism.

Marie Colvin was a fearless war correspondent who exposed crimes against humanity from the front lines. Born on Long Island, she was killed in 2012 in a targeted attack by the Syrian regime led by the dictator Bashar Al-Assad, who was overthrown in December 2024.

"Vladimir Kara-Murza, like Marie Colvin, knows firsthand how dangerous but important it is to tell the truth while brutal regimes seek to deceive their own people," said Sarah Baxter, director of the Colvin Center. "We are honored to have such a brave guest speaker."

The distinguished lecture will take place at the Charles B. Wang Center Theater on Tuesday, March 10. Refreshments will be at 5:30 pm, followed by the lecture at 6 pm.

This event is free and open to the public. All are welcome. Reservations are not required, but encouraged. RSVP here.