PressEthic

An article printed today in the New York Times says the Department of Homeland Security is funding the development of a new type of software that will comb through foreign news sources to monitor opinions of the US. The intent, according to the DHS, is to "identify common patterns from numerous sources of information which might be indicative of potential threats to the nation." As the Times piece points out, state officials relying on foreign press to gauge public sentiment is nothing new. It's the creation of the high-tech method of surveying sources that makes this noteworthy.

For journalists and the industry, the salient point is this:

Even the basic research has raised concern among journalism advocates and privacy groups, as well as representatives of the foreign news media.

“It is just creepy and Orwellian,” said Lucy Dalglish, a lawyer and former editor who is executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.

Andrei Sitov, Washington bureau chief of the Itar-Tass news agency of Russia, said he hoped that the objective did not go beyond simply identifying threats to efforts to stifle criticism about an American president or administration.

“This is what makes your country great, the open society where people can criticize their own government,” Mr. Sitov said.

Will the knowledge that content is being monitored for this purpose stifle the press abroad, or even taint its coverage? How will foreign journalists feel about their reporting having such large political ramifications?