 He served his community and his family. This is my service to the country. That's how I feel about it. Once I learned about these gentlemen, we're all over the country. President Biden is reacting strongly to the 16-year prison sentence handed down to an American reporter in Russia. The president released a statement that says Evan Gershkovich, who works for the Wall Street Journal, committed no crime. Rather, he said, he was targeted by the Russian government because he is a journalist and an American.