In the Line of Fire

Staying safe while covering a war is especially challenging when the soldiers don’t wear uniforms and towns can turn into battlegrounds overnight. On May 5, Simon Shuster, our correspondent who has been covering Ukraine since the overthrow of the government in February, was stopped at a barricade made of tires and trash near Konstantinovka, which had just been overrun by pro-Russian militants. He was pulled from his car, pistol-whipped and taken to rebel headquarters in the occupied city hall. His bleeding head was treated by the chief nurse, who two weeks ago gave up her job driving a taxi in order to provide first aid for “our resistance,” a term that she meant to include the entire population of the town. “We’re not animals here,” she said to Simon while applying antiseptics to his head. The next day he escaped the danger zone with the help of Maxim Dondyuk and a pair of Russian photographers, who were able to get Simon through the rebel-manned checkpoints on the roads out of town.

This is the second time he has been detained, and other journalists covering the conflict have faced similar threats. Three were reportedly shot in the two days before Simon was captured. In this region as well as in Afghanistan, Syria and other war zones, journalists are not just at risk of being caught in the cross fire; they are increasingly being targeted. So far this year, at least 17 have been killed and many more wounded or imprisoned, according to Reporters Without Borders. Truth has been called the first casualty of war; these fearless men and women are the first responders.

Nancy Gibbs, MANAGING EDITOR

INSIDE THE TIME 100 GALA

April 29 marked the annual fete in New York City, where dozens of the world’s most influential artists, scientists, leaders, writers and activists gathered to mingle, dine and dance–during the performances, at least. Here, a sampling of the night’s most memorable moments.

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

In “American Gothic” (April 28), we misidentified the location of an arboretum where Minnie Evans worked. It is in North Carolina. In “Should U.S. Colleges Be Graded by the Government?” (April 28), we misstated the size of Lesley University. It has more than 60 buildings on three campuses. In our Time 100 issue (May 5–12), we incorrectly described Judd Apatow. He is a producer, director and Emmy-winning screenwriter.

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