Journalism is known as the fourth power in the United States. At its best it serves to counterbalance branches of government that have exceeded their responsibilities. In 2005 Glenn Greenwald might have been thinking of this role when he “was becoming increasingly alarmed by the radical and extremist theories of power the US had adopted in the wake of 9/11” (Greenwald). This reporter turned his growing fear first into a blog and then into a best-selling book. Both explored the subject of warrantless wiretapping done in the name of “keep[ing] the nation safe” (Greenwald). A few years later, Edward Snowden shared this sense of increasing alarm and disappointment. For him, the Obama years had begun with a sense of promise, but as the president expanded the War on Terror, Snowden grew disillusioned:
“Obama’s campaign promises and election gave me faith that he would lead us toward fixing the problems he outlined in his quest for votes. Many Americans felt similarly. Unfortunately, shortly after assuming power, he closed the door on investigating systemic violations of law, deepened and expanded several abusive programs, and refused to spend the political capital to end the kind of human rights violations like we see in Guantanamo, where men still sit without charge” (Politico)
Snowden’s loss of faith, of course, resulted in the biggest leak of secret documents in US history. US government surveillance was revealed and a before-and-after was forever marked in the debate between security and privacy. A great place to explore this subject is the Oscar-winning documentary Citizenfour which I have written about in the past (link includes the full film). In the present, journalists around the world continue to build on Greenwald’s work and Snowden’s leak. This is facilitated by the fact that Snowden makes himself available and seems to fully accept that the consequences of his actions could ultimately mean the rest of his life in prison. His belief that what he is doing is correct seems to supersede any fear about his future.
These collaborations included a humorous interview with John Oliver. Oliver aided Snowden to make the seriousness and complexities of government surveillance digestible for those of us who possess little technical knowledge. These efforts to succinctly summarize Snowden’s information have continued and the latest iteration was produced by Vice News. No matter where you stand in regard to the debate about security versus privacy, it is worth watching. Here it is in its entirety:
These collaborations included a humorous interview with John Oliver. Oliver aided Snowden to make the seriousness and complexities of government surveillance digestible for those of us who possess little technical knowledge. These efforts to succinctly summarize Snowden’s information have continued and the latest iteration was produced by Vice News. No matter where you stand in regard to the debate about security versus privacy, it is worth watching. Here it is in its entirety:
Works Cited:
- “Edward Snowden blames Obama.” POLITICO. 2015. 15 Jun. 2016 <http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/edward-snowden-blames-obama-092901>
- Greenwald, Glenn. No place to hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the US surveillance state. Macmillan, 2014.
