When journalists do online investigations of perhaps the National Security Agency, they are without realizing it allowing the NSA to know their identity. Kevin Gallagher of the Freedom of the Press Foundation, July 28, 2014, suggests that journalists should protect their anonymity by using the Tor Browser or a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when working on stories online.
Journalists enjoying the mobile apps that allow them to record phone calls need to know that when they store the recordings on their servers or the cloud and subsequently send a copy to the user’s cell phone, third parties can then obtain the information. Reporters should read the fine print of the app contract and ascertain the details of the apps’ policies on confidentiality and subpoenas. (Poynter Institute, August 1, 2014, by Jamie Schuman)
The Washington Post reports that when reporters interview a government official they may find a representative of the White House press staff in attendance who may even interject to make a clarifying point., It is also common for reporters to endure an official escort when doing an interview on Capitol Hill. (The Washington Post, July 23, 2014, by Paul Farhi)
Journalists are not the only ones government agents are watching. Now inmates using e-mail to converse with their lawyers find that the prosecution is monitoring the e-mails. (The New York Times, July 22, 2014, by Stephanie Clifford)