Irina Lagunina was named Editor-in-chief of RFE/RL's Russian Service (Radio Svoboda) on April 30, 2013. She previously served as a Senior Broadcaster for Radio Svoboda and host of the daily analytical radio journal “Time & World,” covering international relations, world politics, security, economic and energy issues. Prior to joining RFE/RL in 1995, Irina worked as the foreign policy and diplomatic editor for the Russian magazine “New Times” (1986-1993), moving onto a similar position with the “Moscow News”, a Russian weekly newspaper. She was in the media pool of the Russian Foreign Ministry, covering the end of Soviet invasion in Afghanistan, wars in the former Yugoslavia, and ethnic conflicts in former Soviet Union. Her publication in “New Times” magazine was reprinted in “Perils of Perestroika: Viewpoints from the Soviet Press, 1989-1991”. She also contributed to the 1999 study “Kosovo News & Propaganda War” by The International Press Institute in Vienna, Austria.
Russian State University of International Relations, Department of Journalism.
Irina served as foreign policy and diplomatic editor in “New Times” magazine (1986-1993) and the “Moscow News” weekly newspaper (1993-1995). She has been interviewed by National Public Radio, the BBC, and other western media.