Progressive Media Resources Group

KoKo

(84,711 posts) Mon Dec 2, 2013, 04:24 PM Dec 2013

Glenn Greenwald: On NSA Journalism and the Absurdity of Some Recent Critiques (Fascinating Read)

(I posted an article here in PMRG from the "Nation" critical of Pierre Omidyar by Mark Ames and Yasha Levin. Given what Greenwald exposes in this long read, I think that it's possible that the article on Omidyar by Ames and Levin in the "Nation" might not be totally accurate. It seems there's a bit of a "gang up" on Glenn by Media interests that we have been led to believe, or trust, are Dem or Progressive Left leaning...who may not be what they claim because their own funding is compromised by interests many of us would not consider Democratically leaning. Glenn has the links and details.)

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Questions/responses for journalists linking to the Pando post - and other matters
by Glenn Greenwald

The other day I referred to those who "evince zero interest in the substance of the revelations about NSA and GCHQ spying which we're reporting on around the world", but "are instead obsessed with spending their time personally attacking the journalists, whistleblowers and other messengers who enable the world to know about what is being done." There are dozens of examples, one of whom is the author of a post this week at Pando.com which accuses me and Laura Poitras of having "promptly sold [the Snowden] secrets to a billionaire", Pierre Omidyar, and claims we made "a decision to privatize the NSA cache" by joining Omidyar's new media organization and vesting it with a "monopoly" over those documents.

I've steadfastly ignored the multiple attacks from this particular writer over the years because his recklessness with the facts is so well-known (ask others about whom he's written), and because his fixation is quite personal: it began with and still is fueled by an incident where The Nation retracted and apologized for an error-strewn hit piece he wrote which I had criticized (see here and here).

But now, this week's attack has been seized on by various national security establishment functionaries and DC journalists to impugn our NSA reporting and, in some cases, to argue that this "privatizing" theory should be used as a basis to prosecute me for the journalism I'm doing. Amazingly, it's being cited by all sorts of DC journalists and think tank advocates whose own work is paid for by billionaires and other assorted plutocrats: such as Josh Marshall, whose TPM journalism has been "privatized" and funded by the Romney-supporting Silicon Valley oligarch Marc Andreesen, and former Bush Homeland Security Adviser and current CNN analyst Fran Townsend ("profiteering!", exclaims the Time Warner Corp. employee and advocate of the American plundering of Iraq).

Indeed, Pando.com itself is partially funded by libertarian billionaire Peter Thiel, the co-founder of Paypal and CIA-serving Palantir Technologies. The very same author of this week's Pando post had previously described Thiel (before he was funded by him) as "an enemy of democracy" and the head of a firm "which last year was caught organizing an illegal spy ring targeting American political opponents of the US Chamber of Commerce, including journalists, progressive activists and union leaders" (one of whom happened to be me, targeted with threatened career destruction for the crime of advocating for WikiLeaks)).

Moreover, the rhetorical innuendo in the Pando post tracks perfectly with that used by NSA chief Keith Alexander a few weeks ago when he called on the US government to somehow put a stop to the NSA reporting: "I think it's wrong that newspaper reporters have all these documents, the 50,000-- whatever they are, and are selling them and giving them out as if these-- you know, it just doesn't make sense," decreed the NSA chief. This attack is also the same one that was quickly embraced by the Canadian right to try to malign the reporting we're now doing with the CBC on joint US/Canada surveillance programs.

I would think journalists would want to be very careful about embracing this pernicious theory of "privatizing" journalism given how virtually all of you are not only are paid for the journalism you do, but also have your own journalism funded by all sorts of extremely rich people and other corporate interests.

Much More...long read at:

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/12/02-5

7 replies

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Highlight:

Glenn Greenwald: On NSA Journalism and the Absurdity of Some Recent Critiques (Fascinating Read) (Original Post) KoKo Dec 2013 OP

I have often wondered about many of these 'progressive' bloggers who started out roping in sabrina 1 Dec 2013 #1

I always remember when Firedoglake said that after 2008 Election KoKo Dec 2013 #4

It just gets harder and harder to trust sources. I love that GG makes the recommendations he does. NYC_SKP Dec 2013 #2

And this about why they didn't "Document Dump:" KoKo Dec 2013 #3

It will be interesting to see if anyone of them takes up his challenge. We should all demand it sabrina 1 Dec 2013 #5

I think that's the problem. That "We" haven't bothered with Progressive Blogs KoKo Dec 2013 #6

He is doing the best thing he could do at this point, not cowering or apologizing for telling the sabrina 1 Dec 2013 #7

sabrina 1

(62,325 posts)

1. I have often wondered about many of these 'progressive' bloggers who started out roping in

Reply to KoKo (Original post)

Mon Dec 2, 2013, 05:24 PM

Dec 2013

all that liberal energy that was on the internet in the beginning, only to change their tactics as soon as they had accomplished that goal.

TPM is not the only one I wondered about.

Good for Greenwald for exposing TPM's funding, that explains a lot about some of their 'reporting'.

He has good reason to be fearful for his safety and/or freedom.

The left has been very naive over the past decade. These 'journalists' are finally showing their true colors and their sold out status, one by one.

Any real progressive journalist would never even suggest that any journalist, even those we don't agree with, should be prosecuted, FOR TELLING THE TRUTH.

We certainly are learning a lot since the Bush days.

KoKo

(84,711 posts)

4. I always remember when Firedoglake said that after 2008 Election

Reply to sabrina 1 (Reply #1)

Mon Dec 2, 2013, 07:04 PM

Dec 2013

the Progressive Bloggers were thrown into the "Veal Pen." Coralled or Paid Off for Access.

Look at how many Progressive Bloggers on Comprehensive Democratic Values Issues lost Funding and went out of business or their voices were so marginalized that they were considered "CTers" after the 2008 Election!

We've lost even more in the last year and the rest struggle for funding. But, there are those who don't struggle for funding...and those are the ones that I would now start to question as to WHY!

I will be interested to see where he goes and hopefully that he and Laura and Others can revive the SPIRIT AND ACTION we had when Bush Machine Stole "Election 2000."

But it's disgusting that Dem Activists for Truth Out and Democratic Principles of the "New Deal/FDR" Legacy are now Marginalized or go out of business for lack of funds.

WE GOT OUT THE VOTE AND OBAMA was the HOPE AND CHANGE!

I went through this with both CARTER and CLINTON....so my FRUSTRATION...shows. :hope:

NYC_SKP

(68,644 posts)

2. It just gets harder and harder to trust sources. I love that GG makes the recommendations he does.

Reply to KoKo (Original post)

Mon Dec 2, 2013, 05:51 PM

Dec 2013

Great read.

K/R

KoKo

(84,711 posts)

3. And this about why they didn't "Document Dump:"

Reply to NYC_SKP (Reply #2)

Mon Dec 2, 2013, 06:50 PM

Dec 2013

2) What better alternatives exist for our reporting on these documents?

The strategy Laura Poitras and I used to report these documents is clear: I reported on most of them under a freelance contract with the Guardian, and she has reported on most under similar contracts with the NYT, the Washington Post, the Guardian and especially der Spiegel. But we also have partnered with multiple media outlets around the world - in Germany, Brazil, Canada, France, India, Spain, Holland, Mexico, and Norway, with more shortly to come - to ensure that the documents are reported on in those places where the interest level is highest and are closest to those individuals whose privacy has been invaded.

Feel free to criticize that method all you want. I'm extremely proud of the model we've created, one that borrows heavily from the WikiLeaks model of worldwide media partnerships, as it's ensured that no one media outlet has monopolized these documents. Instead, all the stories are reported with the benefit of journalists most familiar with the climate and landscape in the affected countries. That has made the story international in scope, and has made the reporting far better than if it had all been centralized in one place.

The result has been - in just six months - the publication of more classified documents and revelations about the NSA than have appeared in the entire history of the organization before that. Six months is hardly a long time: WikiLeaks did not publish their first war log until five months after they received them from Manning, and did not publish their first diplomatic cable until nine months after they first received them. That's because these documents are complex, take time to understand, vet, and process. We have published a huge number in countries around the world in a short period of time, and there are still many, many more stories and documents to be reported in countries all over the world.

But those that want to criticize that method are compelled to identify one that is superior. Let's examine those alternatives:

More at the Article Link

sabrina 1

(62,325 posts)

5. It will be interesting to see if anyone of them takes up his challenge. We should all demand it

Reply to KoKo (Reply #3)

Mon Dec 2, 2013, 07:17 PM

Dec 2013

from them.

I'm not wild about their 'methods' and haven't bothered with any of the 'progressive' blogs for a long time.

KoKo

(84,711 posts)

6. I think that's the problem. That "We" haven't bothered with Progressive Blogs

Reply to sabrina 1 (Reply #5)

Mon Dec 2, 2013, 09:19 PM

Dec 2013

in a Long Time. Because, they weren't "Progressive" anymore.

Well Said..but, Greenwald is pointing out WHY...and I hope he has more information that is forthcoming...because we, "for Sure" will need it going forward.

sabrina 1

(62,325 posts)

7. He is doing the best thing he could do at this point, not cowering or apologizing for telling the

Reply to KoKo (Reply #6)

Tue Dec 3, 2013, 12:03 AM

Dec 2013

truth but doing the exact opposite, exposing the phonies and the hypocrites.

I agree we should be far more organized and when someone has the guts to fight for our rights, as Greenwald has, there should be a fearsome army standing behind him so that those who are attempting to silence him, think twice about it.

We put all of our energies behind the phonies for far too long and that left our side weak, depleted of resources, and disappointed and disillusioned. And that suits the deceivers and the operatives perfectly.

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