Attacks on the Press: Journalism on the World's Front Lines, 2015 Edition

16. Surveillance Forces Journalists to Think and Act Like Spies

By Tom Lowenthal

Graffiti attributed to the street artist Banksy is seen near the offices of Britain’s eavesdropping agency, Government Communications Headquarters, or GCHQ, in Cheltenham, England, on April 16, 2014.

Source: Reuters/Eddie Keogh

Once upon a time, a journalist never gave up a confidential source. When someone comes forward, anonymously, to inform the public, it’s better to risk time incarcerated than give them up. This ethical responsibility was also a practical and professional necessity. If you promise anonymity, you’re obliged to deliver. If you can’t keep ...