“About two-thirds of investigative journalists surveyed (64%) believe that the U.S. government has probably collected data about their phone calls, emails or online communications,” according to a report published Thursday on Pew’s website.
Survey of investigative journalists shows concerns about government's data collection http://t.co/u3QZFjodLV pic.twitter.com/8wSsiXeQu8
— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) 5 февраля 2015
The report, based on surveys with 671 members of the non-profit group Investigative Reporters and Editors, found that 80 percent of journalists “express the belief that being a journalist increases the likelihood that their data will be collected by the U.S. government.”
The survey by the Pew Research Center and Columbia University found that due to concern about surveillance and hacking “those who identify as reporters do feel an impact when it comes to their sources’ willingness to share information.”
New @pewjournalism survey w/@TowCenter: U.S. investigative journalists on surveillance, hacking & data security http://t.co/97ulIp5fsi
— Jesse Holcomb (@JesseHolcomb) 5 февраля 2015
Concerns about government surveillance of journalists come as the Obama Administration faces civil society criticism for its press freedom record. According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the current administration has prosecuted more whistleblowers than all previous administrations combined. In two of the cases, federal officials secretly seized records of reporters’ emails and phone calls, according to the CPJ.
In the last year, almost 40 percent of reporters have changed the way they communicate with news sources, while one-third say it has become more difficult to find sources willing to speak on the record, the survey found.
