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I know the article touches on this point, but I thought it worth saying directly. The fact that this journalist had long been publicly singled out for extra sc

by Amadou 13y ago

I know the article touches on this point, but I thought it worth saying directly. The fact that this journalist had long been publicly singled out for extra scrutiny under the current programs is a damning indictment of them. Whether she was targeted for political reasons or simply because the dragnet was too wide - neither explanation is compatible with the basic requirements for a functioning democracy. If the people whose job it is to speak truth to power are being persecuted by the system then we are no better today than we were 50 years ago when the FBI used their surveillance of Martin Luther King to try to intimidate him into silence.

jivatmanx 13y ago
Remember, too, that Glenn Greenwald has long been extensively targeted, as revealed in the HBGary leak. There was even a plan to set him up with false information to discredit him.
rossjudson 13y ago
Big +1 to this. Airline security is there for...airline security, right? Exactly what is the justification for placing this woman on a watch list? Do they suspect that she is a terrorist?
spikels 13y ago
There is a not so subtle carrot and stick. A reporter who goes along with those in power can expect access, leaks and perhaps lucrative jobs for their family [1]. But a reporter who embarrasses our leaders will lose the access they need to do their jobs and may be harassed by airport security or even investigated by FBI [2],[3] or have their computer hacked [4]. Powerful incentives to go along with their views. [1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/media-administration-deal-with-conflicts/2013/06/12/e6f98314-ca2e-11e2-8da7-d274bc611a47_story.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/media-administ... [2] http://bigstory.ap.org/article/govt-obtains-wide-ap-phone-records-probe http://bigstory.ap.org/article/govt-obtains-wide-ap-phone-re... [3] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/us/politics/white-house-defends-tracking-fox-reporter.html http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/us/politics/white-house-de... [4] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2013/06/14/cbs-news-confirms-multiple-breaches-of-sharyl-attkissons-computer/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2013/06/1...

by Amadou 13y ago

jivatmanx 13y ago

Remember, too, that Glenn Greenwald has long been extensively targeted, as revealed in the HBGary leak. There was even a plan to set him up with false information to discredit him.

rossjudson 13y ago

Big +1 to this. Airline security is there for...airline security, right? Exactly what is the justification for placing this woman on a watch list? Do they suspect that she is a terrorist?

spikels 13y ago

There is a not so subtle carrot and stick. A reporter who goes along with those in power can expect access, leaks and perhaps lucrative jobs for their family [1]. But a reporter who embarrasses our leaders will lose the access they need to do their jobs and may be harassed by airport security or even investigated by FBI [2],[3] or have their computer hacked [4]. Powerful incentives to go along with their views. [1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/media-administration-deal-with-conflicts/2013/06/12/e6f98314-ca2e-11e2-8da7-d274bc611a47_story.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/media-administ... [2] http://bigstory.ap.org/article/govt-obtains-wide-ap-phone-records-probe http://bigstory.ap.org/article/govt-obtains-wide-ap-phone-re... [3] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/us/politics/white-house-defends-tracking-fox-reporter.html http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/us/politics/white-house-de... [4] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2013/06/14/cbs-news-confirms-multiple-breaches-of-sharyl-attkissons-computer/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2013/06/1...