The danger to journalists in Russia is multiplied by the incredible poor judgement and naive mentality. Journalists in Russia, as others all over the world, develop contacts that may or may not be what they appear. The criminal networks and their more suave business connections set deadly traps for naive, and eager journalists. In the West, investigative journalists do not exist any more. Journalists mosty retell the same stories, perhaps with an interesting nugget here and there from an "unadentified" oficial, or anybody not willing to be named. Russian journalists are almost conditioned to believe that they are going to break a sensational story. They will follow any path, not realizing the dangers to themselved. Crime is the cause of the death of journalists, as they get too close to a criminal operation. Operating under the "human rights" mantra will not make them immune from the wrath of suspicious and "take no risks" criminal lords. Russian journalists have made it also very easy for criminal underground to operate. The sensation-hunting journalists are always thinking that they are on the trail of some link to Kremlin, making it ulta-easy for the criminal operators to safely get rid of them even in a broad daylight. And then, the government is supposed to solve the crime! Most of the murders are committed by the lowly ranks of criminal gangs, who themselves are expendable, and hard to find or link with the bosses. It will be so much wiser for Russian journalists who are still trying to keep the old school investigative journalism alive, to develop contacts in the law enforcement as well. And to be very, very aware of their vulnerability while investigating any form of illegal activity.