The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, shocked the United States and the world. The United States had never experienced anything like it before and didn’t want to experience it again. The attacks were taken as a wake-up call for the government to ramp up foreign and domestic security measures to ensure nothing like it would happen again. [1] The crisis brought unity to the country and lawmakers, helping many extensive legislative pieces to be passed with little pushback. “Hastily passed 45 days after 9/11 in the name of national security, the Patriot Act was the first of many changes to surveillance laws…While most Americans think it was created to catch terrorists, the Patriot Act actually turns regular citizens into suspects.” [2] The extent to which Americans were being surveyed was not well known until the brave steps of a whistleblower made the information public to journalists. That whistleblower was Edward Snowden. The next six posts will inform the reader about Edward Snowden and his contribution to journalism as well as the team members assigned to cover this event and finally a bibliography detailing sources that were cited.
In 2013, Snowden, a contractor working for the National Security Agency reaches out to a team of journalists with highly sensitive and classified information. Snowden, 29 at the time, was a high school drop-out who later worked for the CIA, Dell, and in 2013, Booz Hamilton Allen. [1] Through these positions as a computer systems administrator, Snowden was able to access, download, and subsequently release official government documents that proved the United States was spying on innocent American citizens. “Among the revelations are the NSA’s bulk collection of phone and internet metadata from U.S. users, spying on the personal communications of foreign leaders including U.S. allies, and the NSA’s ability to tap undersea fiber optic cables and siphon off data.” [2] Knowing these documents would provide critical information to the American public, Snowden knew he had to make them public someway or another, “‘The government and corporate sector preyed on our ignorance. But now we know,’ Snowden says. ‘People are aware now. People are still powerless to stop it but we are trying. The revelations made the fight more even.’” [3] Since then, the public’s perception of the government has shifted drastically.
NSA Prism Surveillance // Illustration by Arend van Dam
Based on the weight of the revelations, the team Snowden drafted was given a very important job. Journalists received thousands of documents from Snowden and were then given the task to filter through and decipher information to make it digestible. “Journalists do not solely provide information for public deliberation; they also interpret information based on their professional standards and shared history,” [4] Rebecca Rice writes in “Journalistic Reporting on State Secrets.”
In order to ensure fair and understandable coverage of the documents, the team selected was chosen based on their experiences in covering governmental accountability and transparency. Because the topic is so important to Americans, the people chosen to work are important. If coverage is overexaggerated or subdued, people will get distorted views of the situation at hand. “Journalists’ engagement in debate around their profession can also cast interest away from the content of the secrets revealed.” [5] Evidence from previous situations has shown a neglected responsibility of providing coverage with due diligence, so Snowden’s leak was a chance to get it right. “Finally, Greenwald says that the mainstream media has been complicit in these abuses, and by refusing to report on them, they fail to perform a crucial check on the government.” [6]
I am one of the most famous reporters that has covered accountability in government. In fact, I am a primary reason that former President Richard Nixon resigned in 1974. My reporting on the Watergate scandal focused on governmental abuses, proving that no one is above the law, not even the government itself.
Bob Woodward // Illustration by Jillian Tamaki
I am the right person to report for this job. I live and breathe journalism. “‘I loved the place. I loved the feel of the news room – the intensity, the mystery, the unexpected things that happened,’” I said once in an interview. [1] Along with the effort of my partner, Carl Bernstein, The Washington Post, was able to offer coverage unlike any other media outlet during the Watergate scandal. “It is difficult to exaggerate just how hard Bernstein and Woodward worked on the Watergate story…They worked all the time – and they believed in what they were doing.” [2] Perhaps one of the more important aspects of covering issues of transparency in government is to trust in the process and believe in the importance of your work. I have shown this in my experience, even after my big break during Watergate. I’ve covered the past ten presidential administrations, reporting in great detail and writing books about them. Maintaining transparency and honesty in an administration that works for the people is most important to me. “Even at my age, my first thought generally in the morning when I wake up is, ‘What are the bastards hiding?’” [3] The government is always hiding something, so we have to continuously work to uncover their secrets.
NSA Metadata // Illustration by Rick McKee
Throughout the Watergate scandal, I dealt with a highly confidential whistleblower, Mark Felt, who we called “Deep Throat” at the time. Felt provided us with vital information but wished to stay anonymous for safety reasons. [4] Bernstein and I were steadfast in ensuring that his identity was protected so that he would be safe from the government trying to threaten him. This case and coverage are similar in the consequences whistleblowers could face for speaking out. If people wish to stay anonymous, we would work to provide them with the same security we did with Felt. By doing this, we put ethical journalistic practices above financial gain.
I am not your typical visual producer. Most reporters resort to using photographers to capture action happening in real time. With this particular news lear, that is much more difficult. What Bob Woodward and Thomas Paine are reporting on are things that are happening within the confines of government, beyond our perception. In order to produce captivating and convincing images, I was recruited to create illustrations.
Portrait of the Artist // Illustration by Thomas Nast
My work against Boss Tweed and his oppression opened up revelations to a whole new range and demographic of people. “Although the Times’s work was unparalleled in its detail and documentation, articles weren’t easily accessible to New Yorkers of lower education levels… For many people, Nast’s images were much more effective because the cartoons translated the Times’s complicated accounting and numerical evidence into indictments that appealed to a citizen’s basic sense of right and wrong.” [1] By creating cartoons that everyone can understand, I am upholding my motto to “‘Never shoot over the heads of the people.’” [2] This motto and practice definitely applies to Edward Snowden and his NSA leaks. While almost every American has a cell phone or computer, not every American will be able to understand the extent of how the U.S. government is spying on everyone’s technology. The documents released contain complicated and extensive data, and while the reporters try their best to interpret the information, not all of it translates to everyone. This is where I come in, I can create cartoons that depict the federal government, NSA, and FBI as spies that prey on innocent Americans. Cartoons are always overexaggerated and dramatized, but only in this way will more people be able to understand the gravity of the situation, all while adding humor to a serious problem. The talent to expose a crime against democracy through cartoons is not one that should be dealt lightly, however, this is an important issue to Americans and the ideas need to be communicated. [3]
The NSA is listening in // Illustration by Patrick Chappatte
[1] Rodger Streitmatter, Mightier than the Sword: How the News Media Have Shaped American History, 4th edition (Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 2016), 73.
[2] Streitmatter, Mightier than the Sword, 67.
[3] Streitmatter, Mightier than the Sword, 64.
Image Credits:
Thomas Nast, Portrait of the Artist, Illustration, The MET, 1884, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/427472.
Katharine Graham, publisher of The Washington Post, seated at desk. // Photo by Marion S. Trikosko
I was the publisher for The Washington Post through the Nixon administration. Watergate and the Pentagon Papers were the most controversial and exciting news stories that we published. While I knew the consequences of publishing information and reporting that went against the President’s wishes, I did it anyway. [1] I would never stop the Post from publishing something just because someone in power didn’t like it. I work to protect free speech and the press as well as the values of keeping the government accountable.
As a publisher of the NSA leak stories, I will act no differently. If releasing these documents and reporting to the public will allow for more governmental transparency, there doesn’t seem to be a reason that I shouldn’t. As I did with Watergate, I will give my reporters space to search for their truths and encourage low levels of bias in their work.
Marion S. Trikosko, Katharine Graham, publisher of The Washington Post seated at desk, photograph, Library of Congress, 7 April 1976, https://d14rkevpv7zazs.cloudfront.net/next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.prismic.io%2Fnyhs-prod%2F26adb0ad-d582-4064-9851-edd350cf93c4_Katharine-Graham-seated-at-desk-April-7%252C-1976.jpg%3Fauto%3Dcompress%2Cformat&w=2560&q=75.
Some would call me an inspiration of my time. [1] I, Thomas Paine, was one of the first Americans to report on governmental accountability and transparency. In my famous pamphlet, Common Sense, I laid out a convincing argument to steer colonists away from the oppressive British government and look toward self-governing. I would be a great addition to the team covering Edward Snowden’s NSA leaks because of my commitment and experience.
Thomas Paine // Illustration by Auguste Milliere
“Common people can govern themselves justly and democratically. Liberty should not be forsaken for security.” [2] Those are a few of the core principles that I believe in and I think some of them have greatly influenced the thinking of Americans today. These beliefs will help in the success of covering classified NSA documents that show a record of an abusive and encroaching government, something I am very against. By adding me to the team, I will be able to stress the importance of this issue to the American public.
Under the Microscope // Illustration by Petar Pismestrovic
I would often say, “‘Character is much easier kept than recovered.’” [3] I have maintained integrity and upheld ethical standards throughout my career as a writer. I stand firm by my principles and I seek the truth. While I am more opinionated in my reporting than my partner, Woodward, I think in this case, an opinion is important. We shouldn’t be complicit in a situation where the government is taking direct advantage of us. I believe that my writing can provoke people and help them truly understand how this affects them. “Its message has been credited with transforming thousands of mildly disillusioned colonists into defiant rebels fully prepared to fight for a utopian new world,” [4] Roger Streitmatter wrote about my pamphlet Common Sense.
[1] Matthew Harwood, “World of Paine,” Columbia Journalism Review, 12 June 2009, https://archives.cjr.org/behind_the_news/world_of_paine.php.
[2] Harwood, “World of Paine.”
[3] Harwood, “World of Paine.”
[4] Rodger Streitmatter, Mightier than the Sword: How the News Media Have Shaped American History, 4th edition (Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 2016), 27.
Image Credits:
Auguste Milliere, Thomas Paine, Illustration, National Portrait Gallery, 1876, https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw04829/Thomas-Paine?LinkID=mp03422&role=sit&rNo=1.
Rice, Rebecca. “Questions of Professional Practice and Reporting on State Secrets: Glenn Greenwald and the NSA Leaks.” Secrecy and Society 2, no. 2 (2021). DOI: https://doi.org/10.31979/2377-6188.2021.020207.
Streitmatter, Rodger. Mightier Than the Sword: How the News Media Have Shaped American History, 4th edition. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 2016.
Milliere, Auguste. Thomas Paine. Illustration. National Portrait Gallery. 1876. https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw04829/Thomas-Paine?LinkID=mp03422&role=sit&rNo=1.
Nast, Thomas. Portrait of the Artist. Illustration. The MET. 1884. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/427472.
Trikosko, Marion S. Katharine Graham, publisher of The Washington Post, seated at desk. Photograph. Library of Congress. 7 April 1976. https://d14rkevpv7zazs.cloudfront.net/next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.prismic.io%2Fnyhs-prod%2F26adb0ad-d582-4064-9851-edd350cf93c4_Katharine-Graham-seated-at-desk-April-7%252C-1976.jpg%3Fauto%3Dcompress%2Cformat&w=2560&q=75.
