Top (must know) Journalist on Peace & Security Issues Flashcards
John Hudson
Foreign Policy, Hudson replaced Josh Rogin at The Cable blog in 2013. The Cable focuses on national security and foreign affairs policy inside the Beltway and covers a very broad set of issues, from the United Nations to rebellions in the Middle East. Pitches to Hudson should be timely and appeal to an analysis driven, foreign policy audience. He also occasionally contributes to Passport, a Foreign Policy blog that provides commentary on the biggest news stories of the day. In 2013, Hudson covered the classified Senate Intelligence torture report, the Bush administration’s torture legacy, and the political finger-pointing in the wake of the Benghazi attack. He regularly cites related articles by other outlets in his blog posts, so it would be smart to flag positive stories for him on any government oversight issues. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/3689
Conor Friedersdorf
The Atlantic, Friedersdorf’s multiple daily commentaries on national security and human rights issues makes him one of the leading progressive voices for closing Guantanamo, ending the NSA surveillance program, bringing transparency and government oversight to targeted killing, and ensuring the safety and rights of Muslim, Arab, and South Asians inside the United States and abroad. In 2015, Friedersdorf’s compelling narratives on the moral necessity of the Senate vote banning torture, drone strikes that kill innocent civilians, and the role of the U.S. Constitution in ending the surveillance state have been critical for the conversations at hand. His arguments almost always echo the strongest messages coming out of the security and rights community, making his articles an excellent asset for organizations that want to share compelling published pieces with other journalists or Hill staff. Pitch Friedersdorf with resources or new angles that will make his arguments more effective. He regularly quotes members of the security and rights community. , rethinkmedia.org/node/2600
Karen DeYoung
Washington Post, As the senior national security correspondent for the Washington Post, Karen DeYoung is an extremely influential reporter, often writing multiple times a week on all angles tied to counter-terrorism and national security. Given her seniority, she often writes or co-writes the top national security story of the day and you can frequently find her byline on the front page. In 2013, some of those stories included the NSA surveillance scandal, Snowden’s extradition fight, al Qaeda threats to US Embassies, national security appointments, and President Obama’s security speech at NDU in May.It’s a safe bet that whatever the top national security story of the day is, DeYoung is going to be involved in the reporting. When clear proactive opportunities arise in the security and rights sector, she should always be on a short list. While DeYoung typically quotes government officials, she has also consistently quoted advocates such as human rights attorneys and experts from this sector to add context to her stories. She should be at the top of your list to build a relationship with at the Post. It’s also important to note that she is an associate editor, which means that she is heavily involved in all of the security reporting and coverage. In addition to being a reporter worth building a relationship with, she can also provide a wealth of information with regards to other national security reporters and interests. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/150
Eileen Sullivan
Associated Press, Sullivan is the AP’s counterterrorism reporter. As such, she has continuously reported on terror threats and the government’s response to those threats. Sullivan played a leading role in breaking the NYPD surveillance story back in August 2011. Since then, Sullivan has provided updates on the NYPD Muslim surveillance story and covered the Boston Marathon bombing extensively with a particular emphasis on the Tsarnaev’s possible terrorist connections in Russia.Sullivan uses more sources and writes longer articles than most AP reporters. She most frequently covers developments from within the national security bureaucracy, and often uses NGO sources, as well as officials, in her stories.Sullivan has been receptive to pitches from our community (covering press conferences, quoting community sources, etc.). It remains likely that she will be open to any new leads on the NYPD surveillance program moving forward or more generally on issues that directly involve counterterrorism cases or policy. If introducing yourself for the first time, it wouldn’t hurt to mention her 2012 Pulitzer for her reporting about surveillance against the Muslim community, especially if that’s what your outreach is about., rethinkmedia.org/node/112
Benjamin Weiser
New York Times, Weiser frequently covers pending terrorism trials and Guantanamo detainee cases, but he will also pick up and cover some of the largest national security stories if there is a legal angle to explore. He has covered Sabirhan Hasanoff’s sentencing, the capture and prosecution of Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law, and charges against Ahmed Abassi, who was the target of a FBI sting. Weiser is particularly interested in covering terrorism trials, so he will be most amenable to pitches that provide legal analysis that could inform his coverage. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/144
Adam Goldman
Washington Post, Adam Goldman primarily focuses on terrorism attempts inside the United States, cases involving terror suspects, and the domestic impact of national security policies. Goldman played a leading investigative role in breaking the NYPD surveillance story in August 2011, but has since transitioned back to covering a much broader cross-section of national security coverage. That coverage has included the Boston Marathon bombing and terror cases in New York, but he continues to be very interested in FBI/terror suspect entrapment stories as well.It won’t hurt to acknowledge Goldman’s 2012 Pulitzer, particularly if reaching out on any stories that cover the Muslim community and the federal government. Goldman covers the intersection between national security and terrorism, and in 2015, covered the FBI reports on the Chattanooga shooting; a definition ofdomestic terrorism;’ black sites at Guantanamo and in Afghanistan; the Tsarnaev trial; the shooting of terror-suspect Usaama Rahim in Boston; and the shootings at aDraw Muhammad’ contest in Garland, TX. He will also respond and, when he’s working on something else, direct pitches to other Washington Post staff both in New York and D.C. Goldman should often be a top target for relationship building given that his coverage is often placed in dozens of outlets throughout the country. , rethinkmedia.org/node/122
Devlin Barrett
Wall Street Journal, Devlin Barrett covers a spectrum of national security issues through the lens of the law and the Justice Department, including the trials of accused terror suspects, debate about the legality of counterterrorism programs, and the profiles of national security political appointees. He focuses on what legal role they will have overseeing suspects’ prosecutions or working to prevent acts of terror. Previously, Barrett was dedicated to NY-based crime and terrorism stories despite living in Washington, D.C., and he will still be amenable to pitches that emphasize a NYC-specific angle. Barrett has covered James Comey’s confirmation as FBI director (mentioning that Comey publicly opposed waterboarding in his testimony), Attorney General Holder’s reaction to the NSA surveillance program, and the Justice Department’s seizure of national security reporters’ phone records. Barrett is most likely to quote members of the security and rights community when they represent an emerging opinion on a prominent national security story with a strong legal angle. That said, Barrett is very likely to quote elected officials in his coverage, so pitch Barrett with quotes from government validators over NGOs when possible. Barrett regularly uses Twitter to chat with other WSJ reporters; his account provides casual, but valuable, insight into how the WSJ offices work. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/161
Josh Gerstein
Politico, Gerstein joined Politico just before Obama’s first term. In the six years since, he has firmly established himself as one of the more credible inside the Beltway reporters. His stories are often shared among Hill staff because of their credibility and accessibility on the issues he covers. Gerstein’s articles frequently explore how the Obama administrations’ promise to reform the Bush counterterrorism architecture has been largely deferred, while paying specifically close attention to the failed pledge to close Guantanamo. Additionally, Gerstein has reported numerous times on the crackdown on national security leaks, whistleblowers, government transparency, and the treatment of the press. Gerstein has covered the NSA surveillance leak, the targeted killing memos, and the ongoing developments at Guantanamo, while most recently highlighting the skepticism and confusion over all three issues in the wake of the President’s speeches on them.Gerstein should be on the radar of every org that works on security and rights issues and aims to have an influence on the Hill. He writes multiple stories a day and almost exclusively about the issues of the day, so pitch him consistently 24-72 hours in advance. , rethinkmedia.org/node/3681
Natasha Lennard
Fusion , Natasha Lennard covers a wide scope of national security issues and should be considered a strong (and remarkably prolific) supporter of the security and rights community. On Guantanamo, she covered a former guard apologizing to detainees for his part in supporting indefinite detention and torture, the AMA’s opposition to forced feeding, and attempts to block funding for Guantanamo in the NDAA. She also covered NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly’s role overseeing the NYPD Muslim surveillance program and jumped at the chance to point out the irony of Kelly’s opposition to the NSA surveillance program. Lennard has covered collaborations between the private sector and the government to combat hackers, but also government plans to fine phone companies that refuse to comply with wiretaps. She has also covered Pakistani leaders’ opposition to the targeted killing program and arguments by advocates in Yemen that targeted killing significantly compounds the problem contributing to the counterterrorism concerns facing the United States. Lennard should be on any national security list. Lennard frames security and rights issues in a thoughtful, accessible way and her articles are clear and convincing. Her pieces are often excellent resources for organizations looking to share stories from the security and rights community’s perspective., rethinkmedia.org/node/304
Spencer Ackerman
The Guardian, Since moving to The Guardian in 2013, Ackerman has become the paper’s go-to reporter on all issues related to U.S. national security. He focuses on government oversight in relation to Guantanamo, counterterrorism, torture, and racial profiling. In early 2012, Ackerman wrote frequently on FBI trainings and their impact on the NYPD surveillance program in New York. Ackerman has been consistently critical of detention and enhanced interrogation policies and covered the indefinite detention provisions in the NDAA. In 2013, Ackerman has played a supporting role on the Guardian team covering the Snowden leaks and NSA surveillance. He also covered experts’ claims that Afghan civilians are more likely to be inadvertently killed by drone strikes than by manned aircraft. He is likely to continue to cover a variety of SRC issues for the Guardian once the NSA surveillance story stops making front-page news. Ackerman often provides secondary analysis and links to other stories, but he also is known for original investigative reporting and is very receptive to SRC member’s outreach. Ackerman tends to share the view that the policies that were reshaped post 9/11 are deeply problematic and he should be a key contact on issues generally related to Guantanamo, profiling, or the failures of the larger national security complex. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/221
Kevin Gosztola
Fire Dog Lake, Kevin Gosztola is a writer and curator of Firedoglake’s blog The Dissenter, a blog covering civil liberties in the age of technology. He is quickly becoming one of the most consistent contributors on security and rights issues coming out of the progressive community and will write several stories each week on the latest news from Guantanamo, Wikileaks, Muslim Americans entrapped by the FBI, and transparency surrounding current drone policies. In 2015, Gosztola covered the Guantanamo Navy nurse story; the release of CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou; and the NSA spying on members of the German government. He generally writes 5-6 articles per week.Gosztola is not afraid to assign blame to the Obama administration for civil liberties violations that have happened under his watch; similarly, Gosztola has criticized multiple mainstream news outlets for failing to ask news sources hard questions or discuss government missteps in the treatment of its citizens. Gosztola was one of the go-to reporters on the Manning trial and co-authored “Truth and Consequences: The US Versus Bradley Manning” with The Nation’s Greg Mitchell. Gosztola is managing editor of Shadowproof Press. He also produces and co-hosts the weekly podcast, “Unauthorized Disclosure.” He is very eager to engage his audience on Twitter and will often discuss his articles with others over several days. Pitch Gosztola with national news that might be overlooked by mainstream news outlets but will have a home with a more progressive community. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/2609
Dina Temple-Raston
NPR, Dina Temple-Raston can be described as NPR’s top Guantanamo reporter and one of two leading national security reporters with the outlet. Following the president’s NDU speech, Temple-Raston was one of the first voices to express skepticism that the president would be able to close Guantanamo. Additionally, Temple-Raston has also given coverage to racial profiling, specifically the concerns surrounding counter-terrorism policies that include profiling of the American Muslim community. She has written two books related to civil liberties and national security: In Defense of Our America, written with ACLU director Anthony Romero, and The Jihad Next Door, about the challenges that American Muslims face in a post 9/11 world. Carrie Johnson and Dina Temple-Raston cover the same spectrum of issues for NPR and each regularly provide commentary and analysis for top-level cable outlets as experts on the law and national security. That said, they tend to cover counter-terrorism through two slightly different lenses and it’s important to differentiate. Temple-Raston is primarily focused on the impact of policy decisions and the role they have in counter-terrorism altogether, while Johnson covers everything from the Justice Department and will look at any story with a very legal angle. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/266
Richard Serrano
LA Times, Serrano has been covering domestic terrorism and national security for over twenty-five years. Although his current beat is government and politics, he continues to remain the most senior reporter on domestic terrorism and national security for the LA Times. Given this seniority, this usually means that Serrano is only going to be interested in the national security story that’s front-page material. In the past year, that coverage has included reporting on the Boston Marathon bombing, the Snowden controversy surrounding the NSA leaks, and Bradley Manning’s trial. Serrano has also shown ongoing and consistent interest in the September 11th trials before the military commission in Guantanamo and any updates from the detainee hunger strike. As the government and politics reporter in Washington D.C., Serrano spends most of his days covering Congress or the White House, but he has first pick on any breaking or prominent counter-terrorism stories. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/135
Greg Sargent
Washington Post, Greg Sargent posts several times a day for The Plum Line blog, which remains one of the highest read parts of the Washington Post website. Sargent has a large reader interaction, with an average of 20-60 comments per post. Although he spends considerable time covering an array of issues, he’s historically been an excellent resource on Guantanamo, Islamophobia, and national security with a perspective that almost always favors the sector’s position. Sargent has consistently revisited the NSA surveillance program after the Snowden leaks and challenged Democratic elected officials to strengthen their position against surveillance and for privacy and government transparency. He also highlighted Obama’s NDU speech as an “imperfect effort” to bring civil liberties back to the national security conversation. Sargent has been receptive to receiving ideas for his blog from our community and that should continue moving forward. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/245
Kim Zetter
Wired News, Zetter is an excellent resource for online surveillance and covers the intelligence community as part of her larger cybersecurity beat. She is a regular contributor to the Wired News’ “Threat Level” blog on privacy and security, which tends to reach an informed, tech and policy-savvy audience. Zetter provides significant reporting on information gathering, along with privacy and security leaks. She’s eager to illustrate new or interesting tech angles applied to front page stories, as she has throughout 2015 in her coverage of everything from FBI spy planes to the “Stingray” surveillance tool. She has also covered the efforts by private businesses to avoid providing data to the NSA - from the legal battles to the logistics of providing online data in the first place. Zetter is most interested in stories on counter-terrorism policies and on the implications these policies have for average Americans. Pitch her with links to articles on surveillance and government oversight that you think merit additional attention and she will also be receptive to quoting members from the security and rights community, so consider including reactions from spokespersons in your emails.Kim Zetter prefers not to be contacted via phone; her preferred method is email. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/3687
James Risen
New York Times, James Risen is a top resource for wiretapping and CIA oversight. He is the author of State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration,The Main Enemy, and most recently, Pay Any Price: Greed, Power, and Endless War. He does not publish articles as frequently as his NYT colleagues covering the national security beat, but he has been covering bipartisan and grassroots backlash against the NSA surveillance program since Edward Snowden released details on the NSA’s reach. Risen won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 2006 for his stories about President Bush’s warrantless wiretapping program. He will be more amenable to surveillance pitches that tie the current administration’s position on data collection to the Bush administration’s policies. Risen was also subpoenaed in the criminal trial of former CIA official Jeffrey Sterling, who is accused of providing top secret materials to Risen as he wrote his book, State of War. Risen refused to testify and claimed reporter’s privilege under the first amendment. Risen has refused to reveal his sources at great personal risk and possible jail time, making him a major actor in what has been called the Obama administration’swar on whistleblowers�. This will heavily influence his interest in whistleblower stories, from Manning to Snowden. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/3683
Andrea Peterson
Washington Post, Andrea Peterson covers technology policy for the Washington Post, focusing on cybersecurity, consumer privacy, transparency, surveillance, and open government. Peterson is an ally for our community, frequently reporting on the violation of civil rights in her coverage on surveillance. She has covered the NSA scandal in depth, criticizing a lack of oversight of the program. Specifically, she has criticized Obama’s outside expert panel for NSA review, reporting that these experts are former White House staff. She has also written about satellite imagery and its potential to violate human rights or protect them. She mixes reporting and opinion in her articles. Her style often times is punchy and almost sarcastic, for example one of her headlines wasNo, Glenn Greenwald didn’tvow vengeance.’ He said he was going to do his job. Peterson is an important reporter for any groups working on surveillance and technology issues. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/2624
Brad Knickerbocker
Christian Science Monitor, Knickerbocker writes frequently on security and rights issues. Knickerbocker covers issues from the political frame, and over the past six months, he has covered Rand Paul’s Patriot Act filibuster, the USA Freedom Act, and the Charleston shootings and Tsarnaev trial, all from the scope of the upcoming 2016 Presidential election. His most influential or groundbreaking stories focus on the intersection between government accountability and national security with a particular focus on the United States policies surrounding surveillance. However, Knickerbocker’s beat is broad and he has covered everything from the Fort Hood shooting to the Rand Paul drone filibuster. Knickerbocker would be open to pitches on national stories where civil rights concerns intersect with federal and state government policies. He accepts press releases by email, but discourages follow-up phone calls. Knickerbocker mostly tweets out links to his own articles and rarely RT’s other tweets. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/148
Chris Strohm
Bloomberg, Chris Strohm is an excellent resource on cybersecurity issues, particularly attempts by China to spy on or hack American government and business platforms, but he also prominently covers any online attacks against the United States. Over the last few months, Strohm has covered the Snowden leaks and their effect on NSA bulk collection, as well as the Patriot Act reauthorization debate and the NSA’s secret bulk data collection. Given Strohm’s overlap between cybersecurity, surveillance and politics he is also likely to be interested in national security/intelligence bills and legislation on both going forward as well.When pitching Strohm, keep in mind that Bloomberg stories often have a business or financial angle and are intended for a business audience. Bloomberg stories are featured in over 350 leading newspapers worldwide, such as the Washington Post and financial newspapers, such as Financial Times and International Business Times. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/238
Pete Yost
Associated Press, Pete Yost covers security and rights issues as they intersect with the Justice Department, particularly surveillance and leak scandals. Over the past year, he has covered Edward Snowden, the NSA surveillance scandal, government investigations into a Fox News national security journalist, and the Benghazi hearings. Yost consistently quotes the agencies involved in these controversies and occasionally quotes unnamed sources from the government. Yost is less likely to quote security and rights advocates directly, but should still be an important media contact for anyone who wants to influence his coverage. Yost will be a great resource when Justice Department is involved or pressured to become involved in cases where national security and civil liberties are pitted against each other., rethinkmedia.org/node/287
Mark Hosenball
Reuters, Mark Hosenball writes regularly on national security, particularly investigations into national security stories that are already on the front page. For example, immediately following the Snowden leaks in June, Hosenball wrote an exclusive that Booze Allen hired Snowden despite discrepancies in his resume and another article that revealed Snowden’s online profiles years before he leaked details on the NSA surveillance program. Both stories added new dimensions to a national conversation about Snowden. It’s worth noting that Hosenball started his career by blowing the lid on the UK’s GCHQ program in 1975 and was subsequently deported from the United Kingdom. This hasn’t necessarily defined his coverage over the last 30 years, but it has certainly played an important role in his interest in surveillance and the government, which has been a common thread throughout his career. He rarely uses civil liberties sources, and often sources anonymous members of the intelligence community, but he is likely to follow interesting leads or angles from the groups who pitch him on surveillance or government accountability issues. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/280
Brian Bennett
LA Times, Brian Bennett covers immigration and the Department of Homeland Security. Over the past year Bennett has covered the legality of domestic drones, specifically covering the FBI’s use of drones for domestic surveillance purposes. He has also provided immigration and citizenship context for the legal case against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev upon his arrest in April. He will be most interested in stories that address oversight over the DHS, FBI, and other domestic counter-terror agencies, as well as analysis into how these agencies’ programs address (or fail to address) the threat of terror inside the United States. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/2565
Ken Dilanian
Associated Press, Dilianian writes exclusively on national security. He often quotes administration and intelligence officials, as well as terrorism experts from think tanks. Unlike inside-the-Beltway outlets that often share breaking news for a narrow audience without much context, the Tribune services (LA Times, Chicago Tribune, etc.) provide additional analysis and background to reach a broader audience. Consequently, Dilianian contextualizes the story of the day within the larger universe of national security policies. In 2013, Dilanian’s covered revelations coming out of the NSA surveillance scandal, including the PRISM program and speculation over how much information Snowden had access to. He also covered the leak of the targeted killing white paper, the administration’s interpretations of the AUMF, and the White House’s concession that drones had killed four American citizens abroad. Dilanian will write on SRC issues when they intersect with the top national security stories of the day. In the past that has included the Warsame detention in 2011, DOJ’s decision to drop investigations into the CIA’s interrogation program, and the Senate Intelligence torture report. Dilanian is primarily responsible for writing and covering the stories of the day, so always pitch him 24-48 hours out on a story you know is about to happen or in response to breaking news., rethinkmedia.org/node/263
Evan Perez
CNN, Now that he has moved to CNN from the Wall Street Journal, Perez’s beat will likely narrow from the broad swath of national security stories he covered at the Wall Street Journal to the pure Justice beat at his newly created position at CNN. That said, he is likely to still cover national security issues of interest to the SRC community through a legal lens. At the Wall Street Journal, Perez helped lead the team that broke news on the complaint that sparked the FBI’s Petraeus investigation and the removal of an FBI agent in the case. After the Boston bombing, Perez helped break important developments including the suspected source of explosives and materials used to make the bombs, the investigators’ eyeing associates who discarded evidence, and the FBI’s analysis of the bombs. Evan Perez has also written about detainee related questions with frequency, most recently reporting on new efforts to review terrorism suspects held in Guantanamo and either prosecute, transfer, or clear detainees for release. It’s reasonably safe to assume that the intersection between national security, human rights, and the Justice Department will remain the area in which he remains valuable to the community., rethinkmedia.org/node/139
Kimberly Dozier
The Daily Beast , Dozier’s national security beat is enormous, but she routinely writes stories that allied organizations are heavily involved in. She should be pitched frequently with the hopes of turning her relatively large reporting influence into an asset. In the last six months, she has been the primary reporter on the NSA surveillance/Snowden scandal, often writing multiple articles each week on everything from the latest revelations on the NSA surveillance program to efforts to extradite Snowden to the United States. She has also covered John Brennan defending the use of drones against American citizens abroad, the Boston marathon bombing, and investigations into the Benghazi attack.Dozier should be on every group’s national security press list, but she should also be a primary reporter for many to cultivate a relationship with. If Dozier knows you as a source and responds to your correspondence, it will likely translate eventually into influential coverage either by her or somebody else on the AP security team. , rethinkmedia.org/node/121
Shaun Waterman
Politico, Waterman is prolific on many of the issues that matter to the security and rights sector. Waterman regularly writes on cybersecurity, reporting on the White House and Pentagon’s evolving stances on data mining and domestic surveillance in the wake of the NSA/Snowden leak. He has also covered China’s efforts to hack American businesses and subsequent efforts to reinforce US cyberdefense systems. He has also covered the use of predator drones in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where he notably emphasized that Pakistan approved the use of American predator drones on suspected al Qaeda members. Waterman was one of the rare reporters to suggest that the hunger strike in Guantanamo was not as dire as other major outlets reported and that, in fact, many of the detainees listed as part of the hunger strike were eating plenty of food at non-scheduled meal times. The Washington Times has a strong reputation for conservative reporting and any pitches should take into consideration the strong possibility that the Times will take positions that are problematic to the sector. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/3684
Greg Miller
Washington Post, As the leading national security reporter at the Washington Post, Greg Miller covers a large swath of high profile stories through the lens of the intelligence community. Miller has covered everything from the NSA scandal, the intelligence that led to drone strikes in Yemen, the closure of CIA bases in Afghanistan, the intelligence gathering around the Boston bombing, along with ongoing reporting on the continued classification of the Senate Intelligence Committee report on the CIA’s use of torture. Miller writes 2-3 stories a week and is typically interested in exploring the intelligence agencies’ role in these security stories. Naturally, Miller is often quoting intelligence officials, but has also been receptive to citing community sources when the focus of the reporting is questioning intelligence policy making. In 2015, Miller covered the shooting at Marine and Navy recruitment centers in Chattanooga; the American Psychological Association’s complicity in approving torture tactics used in Guantanamo; the reorganization of the CIA; drone strikes across the globe and its lack of impact on terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda and ISIS; and cyber espionage. Pitches to Miller should always focus on the intelligence community and be done in advance or immediately after a story breaks that will appeal to a national audience. For more ReThink Intel, bio, and contact info click here: rethinkmedia.org/node/105
Glenn Greenwald
The Intercept, Greenwald changed from a name known to our community to a household name after his role in the release of several secret surveillance reports in 2013. Greenwald was a vocal critic of the Bush Administration’s efforts to expand executive power and directed his criticism at the Obama administration for continuing many of those policies. One telling quote from Grennwald:The worst and most tyrannical government actions in Washington are equally supported on a fully bipartisan basis. While Greenwald has regularly written on Guantanamo’s failures and advocated for increased transparency in the targeted killing program, he is most well known for his columns on government accountability and transparency, particularly whistleblower protections.Starting in June 2013, Greenwald published a series of secret reports acquired by Edward Snowden detailing United States and British mass surveillance programs. Following these reports, Greenwald came under attack from government officials for his role in assisting Snowden. In August 2013 Greenwald’s partner was detained in Heathrow Airport under Britain’s Terrorism Act. Greenwald later called this a failed attempt to intimidate him and prevent future materials from being published. Greenwald is going to be occupied on all things related to surveillance and his new media venture for the first half of 2014. Consider him a strong advocate for the privacy community and one who will be receptive to arguments and evidence from our side. , rethinkmedia.org/node/296
