This is classic journalism. People are wired to consume stories about other people. Collections of facts and abstract concepts appeal to hackers, engineers and

This is classic journalism. People are wired to consume stories about other people. Collections of facts and abstract concepts appeal to hackers, engineers and analytical types, who are in the minority as most people can't stomach that kind of information. Journalists always add a face to a story, and Snowden is that face. I'd say it's actually kind of encouraging because it means the message has been tailored for the mainstream and/or mainstream readers are interested.