It’s not every day that the granddaughter of a former president visits campus. Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who began her career as a journalist, spoke with University students about “Journalism and National Security Issues” at a brown bag session early Thursday at noon in Gregory Hall. Eisenhower is chairwoman and senior fellow of the Eisenhower Institute in Washington D.C.

As an expert in U.S. relations with Russia, Eisenhower spoke of the difficulties Russian journalists face.

Because of the extremely high inflation rates, an elite group of Russian citizens were able to gain control over much of the country’s media. In order to take power out of their hands, the government has taken over many of the newspapers and television stations, Eisenhower said.

Although some may not realize it, she said the news media in Russia has been one of Vladmir Putin’s biggest critics.

“The print media has been notoriously outspoken in a way that you have not seen here,” Eisenhower said.

After a terrorist attack in Moscow in 2003, the news media in Russia voluntarily adopted censorship rules, she said.

A newspaper editor was fired for being too emotional in his coverage of a recent terrorist attack. Eisenhower said Russian officials see this kind of coverage as a way to inflame the public’s emotions, making it hard for the Russian people to stay calm while giving the terrorists the press coverage they want.

“(Russian journalists are) a group of heroic people, many of them who have lost their lives,” she said.

Eisenhower answered questions from the audience after she finished speaking.

Janet Krenn, graduate student, said she decided to attend the brown bag session because she had time between classes and she is interested in international relations.

Eisenhower’s visit was sponsored by the University’s International Programs and Studies and the Program in Arms Control, Disarmament and International Security (ACDIS). Eisenhower will deliver a lecture, “Russian-U.S. Relations in the Coming Decade,” tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Spurlock Museum as part of the College of Communication’s MillerComm lecture series.

ACDIS Director Cliff Singer said the program chose Eisenhower because of her knowledge of U.S./Russian relations and because she does work that is similar to what the program is doing.

“She’s definitely one of the most distinguished people we’ve ever had (here),” Singer said.