A former editor at Vice Media blames a gonzo journalism culture at the youth-oriented media outlet for pushing him into an international cocaine smuggling ring that will now send him to prison. Vice specialized in “immersionism,” where “its journalists are encouraged to become embedded within the cultures and with the people they are writing about,” Pastukhov’s lawyer, Dan Kirby, told court at Pastukhov’s sentencing hearing, Thursday. “The only path to rise up within the organization was to independently source a story and hope your efforts were recognized by the New York office,” he told court. Through Vice Canada’s communications manager, Britt Aharoni, Vice declined to comment about Pastukhov’s version of his time at the company. Faiyaz Alibhai, prosecutor with the federal Anti-Organized Crime Team, told court he neither accepts not refutes the background story Pastukhov presented of how he learned of the drug ring.

Source: National Post November 04, 2019 12:56 UTC