Don’t Publish??

US Writers and Journalists Censor Themselves

US spooks seem to be now self-censoring their copy in order to avoid upsetting the government. It turned out that the NSA programs are actually supported by half of Americans, even though many understand that their own personal data have been monitored.
Another research revealed that almost 25% of American writers have self-censored for fear of government surveillance. US hacks were curbing their research, declining certain assignments, even not discussing certain topics via the phone or e-mail, afraid of being targeted. Today it’s hard to find an American reporter willing to write about the Middle East, the military and terrorism.

Perhaps, they fear to end up on a no-fly list or be subjected to strip searches at airports. The researchers point out that Americans have long protested the persecution and constraints on journalists and writers working under repressive regimes abroad, but many seem to be ready to accept the new encroachments on their freedom in the USA.

When it happened so that the details have been released, journalists and intelligence specialists have argued that the evidence collected through surveillance could have been obtained in other ways, or just was not so crucial.

Nevertheless, American journalists who have always been a bit soft compared to the rest of the world, seem to have caved in completely. Remember New York Times writing about Apple while ignoring important news stories because Apple really needed its press release published?