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Fearing Government Surveillance, US Journalists Are Self-Censoring

Posted by Soulskill on from the except-the-ones-you-wish-would-self-censor dept.

binarstu writes "Suzanne Nossel, writing for CNN, reports that 'a survey of American writers done in October revealed that nearly one in four has self-censored for fear of government surveillance. They fessed up to curbing their research, not accepting certain assignments, even not discussing certain topics on the phone or via e-mail for fear of being targeted. The subjects they are avoiding are no surprise — mostly matters to do with the Middle East, the military and terrorism.' Yet ordinary Americans, for the most part, seem not to care: 'Surveillance so intrusive it is putting certain subjects out of bounds would seem like cause for alarm in a country that prides itself as the world's most free. Americans have long protested the persecution and constraints on journalists and writers living under repressive regimes abroad, yet many seem ready to accept these new encroachments on their freedom at home.'"

12 of 376 comments (clear)

  1. Deluded ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Surveillance so intrusive it is putting certain subjects out of bounds would seem like cause for alarm in a country that prides itself as the world's most free

    Continuing to believe that is a sign you're delusional, not 'free'.

    1. Re:Deluded ... by EdIII · · Score: 5, Insightful

      How about the simplest and yet most important one?

      Being able to have a conversation with a couple of people about highly controversial topics without fear of the government recording your conversations, creating files on all of you, and adding you to watch lists that strongly curtail your freedom of movement?

      I seem to remember the Founding Fathers being pretty fucking excited about getting that one into the framework of the country....

    2. Re:Deluded ... by Runaway1956 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You should read the correspondence of the founding fathers. They spell out very explicitly that the right to bear arms applies to individuals, and that the purpose of that right is to curb an oppressive government. The "militia" includes all able bodied men between the ages of 18 and 40, not just members of an established militia.

      There is no misunderstanding on the part of gun rights advocates. The misunderstanding is intentionally spread by the gun control crowd. Government is not meant to have control over any man's ability to defend himself, period. We have made exceptions for dangerously violent people, and the mentally infirm - everyone else is entitled to carry the same weapons that the police forces are authorized to carry.

      --
      "Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
    3. Re:Deluded ... by crunchygranola · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Not having insurance does not mean you're using the ER as your insurance. The fix is to repeal that law, not to force others to pay for the freeloaders.

      Not having insurance does indeed mean you're using the ER as your insurance. If you believe that this obvious fact is not a fact, you should provide a reason for your belief.

      That you feel the appropriate remedy, for what you claim is a non-existent problem, is to repeal the law requiring ER treatment indicates that you do indeed believe people without insurance are using the ER as their insurance.

      A few of problems with this proposed remedy:

      • It means that no one gets treated at an ER unless they can produce proof of insurance on the spot. This has serious implications for the health and safety of every American including the insured (though fine with the "Let 'em die crowd.)
      • It vaporizes the favorite rationale of Republican politicians for why U.S. health care is just fine and dandy.
        G.W. Bush (2007): "I mean, people have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room.”
        Mitt Romney (2012): "If someone has a heart attack, they don’t sit in their apartment and die. We pick them up in an ambulance, and take them to the hospital, and give them care."
      • It means that people without insurance actually will "just die".
      --
      Second class citizen of the New Gilded Age
  2. American talk a big game when it comes to freedom by DontBlameCanada · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... but their actions tend to contradict what they say.

    Torture and the taking of political prisoners are touted as flaws of third world dictatorships and communists v. waterboarding, Guantanamo Bay and attempts to arrest Snowden and others who have taken a political stance they don't like.

  3. Watching watchers by mrex · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The other three out of four were too fearful of their survey answers being logged by the NSA...

  4. Done their job in the first place by Bodhammer · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Maybe if the so-called press had done their job in the the first place over the last 20 years we would be in this mess.

    --
    "I say we take off, nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."
  5. Stop it. by AndyAndyAndyAndy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Once again, you're plowing your way though the comments with a reckless lack of perspective. There's no need to run a police state in order to institute universal healthcare, expand education programs, or build on welfare mechanisms. Nor does running a progressive agenda inevitably give way to the construction of a police state. There is nothing inextricable about the two ideas, and as usual, you don't even attempt to back up your flamebaiting claim. Knock it off.

    --
    It's always confirmation bias!
  6. Re:Government is too powerful by truthsearch · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If your statement were true then Germany, Norway, Belgium, and lots of other countries would be police states. If you want to argue for smaller government you're doing it wrong.

    --
    Developers: We can use your help.
  7. Re:American talk a big game when it comes to freed by ewieling · · Score: 5, Insightful

    When I was growing up we were told some of the reasons the Soviets were so terrible is because people could not travel without "their papers", the Soviet government spied on its own citizens, the Soviets put people in secret prisons, the Soviets put people in prison without trial. Sounds a lot like the USA today. In the USA today these bad things seem mostly to be limited to "special circumstances", but they set a scary precedent. There are many great things about the USA, but pretending the bad stuff doesn't exist doesn't help the country, it undermines it.

    --
    I really shouldn't have used someone else's email address for this account.
  8. Re:Government is too powerful by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Such links are drawn using logic like.. Hillary Clinton believes in educating children. Also Fascists believe in educating children. Therefore...

  9. Re:American talk a big game when it comes to freed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The US has the highest incarceration rate per capita in the entire world -- and by a landslide. Either there is vastly more crime in the US than anywhere else in the world, or the system has been rigged to enrich the power elite at the expense of the common man.

    Granted, incarceration is a step below murder, but the end result is the same for a man who deserves neither: x number of years of your life have been stolen from you, by way of violence (physical force).