Anna-Lena Laurén: Kicked out of Russia - experiences reporting from inside a dictatorship

Join us for a unique opportunity to hear from one of the Nordic region’s most prominent journalists Anna-Lena Laurén and gain insight into her perspectives on Russia, journalism, and current developments in Eastern Europe.

During the event, she will share her experiences as a correspondent in Russia and Ukraine, her insights into the Russian media landscape, and the challenges faced by journalists working under authoritarian conditions. The discussion will explore the nature behind daily news reporting and what it means to witness political and social change from close range during times of war. 

The program will include an introduction to Anna-Lena Laurén, a moderated discussion and audience Q&A, followed by an opportunity for informal conversation afterward. Please sign up here: https://forms.gle/abnNVbcFDG2WXFfc6

The event is part of the Media Literacy Week 2026, organized by the French institute

Monday June 1st at 6 PM

French Institute, Budapest (auditorium)

Event is organized by the Finnish Institute in Hungary, FinnAgora

Anna-Lena Laurén is an award-winning journalist and author with extensive experience covering
Russia, Ukraine, and the post-Soviet region. She has worked as a correspondent for several leading
Nordic media outlets, including Hufvudstadsbladet and Dagens Nyheter and is widely recognized for her
insightful analysis and deeply reported stories from regions marked by political conflict and social
transformation.
For more than fifteen years, she has reported from Moscow, Kyiv, and across Eastern Europe, earning a
reputation as one of the leading Nordic voices on Russian and Ukrainian affairs. Currently, she is based in
Berlin for Dagens Nyheter. Her journalism has received several prestigious awards, including Finland’s
Journalist of the Year award. In addition to her reporting, she is the author of several acclaimed books on
Russia and Ukraine.