In a potentially strange example of ESPN showing off its journalistic chops, the company was the first American outlet to nab an interview with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout following his release from prison in December. Bout, a former American prisoner, was swapped for WNBA star Brittney Griner, being held in a Russian prison, last year.
In the interview, which is live on ESPN.com, Bout discusses Griner, her case and detention in Russia, the swap itself, and why ESPN (of all outlets) was granted the interview.
As far as the latter point is concerned, what Bout told ESPN’s T.J. Quinn (who conducted the interview via Zoom) isn’t exactly an earth-shattering answer.
Bout said he agreed to speak with ESPN because he believes the U.S. and Russia “have a common ground to at least have normal relation between our countries.”
That also doesn’t particularly explain why Bout chose ESPN as opposed to any other outlet. It’s a sign that ESPN still has some investigative journalism capabilities at their disposal after the cancelation of Outside the Lines, which was their preeminent showcase for such interviews. That decline is symbolic of an industry-wide trend after HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel also came to an end.
Quinn has been one of ESPN’s top investigative journalists for a number of years and was ESPN’s lead reporter over the course of Griner’s arrest, trial, detention, and eventual release.
[ESPN, image via ESPN]
