When Darya Tarasova fled Russia in 2022, she left behind her home—but not her journalism.
Four years on, and now living in London, the investigative journalist has been awarded the first Rory Peck Scholarship. A partnership with City St George’s, University of London, the scholarship is designed to help freelance journalists forced into exile to rebuild their careers in the UK.
Originally from Russia, Darya was CNN’s Moscow producer before the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In 2022 she fled the country after it introduced a media law criminalising what it deemed “deliberately false” information about the war, with penalties for journalists of up to 15 years’ imprisonment. Now based in the UK, Darya has freelanced for CBS, ITV and the BBC as well as CNN.
She was part of the team that investigated the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, identifying an FSB unit linked to chemical weapons. The joint CNN/Bellingcat investigation won an Emmy Award and was the basis for the 2023 Oscar and BAFTA award winning film ‘Navalny’.
Darya was selected from a strong field of applicants from countries including Ukraine, Gaza and Yemen. All had been forced to leave their homes because of their journalism.
Last year, in a series of workshops organised by the Trust, journalists in exile living in the UK described how qualifications were not always recognised, professional networks had disappeared, and many were struggling to gain a foothold in the UK media industry. The scholarship enables Darya to study for a Masters in International Journalism at City St George’s, and is designed to enable those forced to flee overcome such challenges and continue their journalism, despite being thousands of miles from home.
The award will cover Darya’s tuition fees in full and marks an important expansion of the Rory Peck Trust’s support for freelance journalists whose careers have been interrupted by conflict, persecution and forced displacement.
Jon Williams, Executive Director of the Rory Peck Trust, said: “Like so many journalists in exile, Darya’s journalism is the reason she is here. She has already shown huge courage, determination and talent. This scholarship will help her rebuild her career, establish new professional networks and continue to tell more extraordinary stories. Independent journalism must not lose those like Darya simply because they have been forced to leave home.”
Williams says he hopes the scholarship will become the first step in a broader programme supporting freelance journalists in exile, helping them continue their careers and strengthening independent journalism, both in the UK and in the countries from which they have fled.