Investigative journalism used to be so much more difficult. Before the Freedom of Information Act, and before the internet, government agencies were much better at keeping their dark, dirty secrets out of the public eye. It used to be that stories would go unreported for decades, before some gutsy journalist would do some digging, and piece together just enough parts to a story to go public. We saw that exact scenario play out in the life of Gary Webb, the news writer who was discredited, destroyed and essentially forced out of work at the San Jose Mercury News for reporting on a dark story about the CIA and their ties to cocaine scandals in Nicaragua and Iran. But now, in days like today, thanks to guys like Edward Snowden, the can of worms is open. The lights are on, and the cockroaches are running for cover. The Freedom of Information Act is enabling the free press to better do their jobs, and hold government accountable. But it’s also giving the press a lot more power to make the government look bad. And with that in mind, it’s probably not smart for the FBI to be making enemies with well known media members. According to leaked documents from 2007, that’s exactly what they did in an internet sting operation. A Seattle-based FBI group was chasing hard after suspects wanted in a bomb threat case, when they decided to get a little creative. Instead of a regular sting operation, the FBI agents sent an email to one of their suspects, disguised as an article coming from the Seattle Times. Of course, it was a bogus news article, designed with the sole purpose of installing spy malware on the suspect’s computer. Christopher suh-GOIN works with the ACLU. He outed the FBI’s leaked documents on Twitter earlier this week. Editor for the Seattle Times, Kathy Best was not happy. She said, “We are outraged that the FBI, with the apparent assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, misappropriated the name of The Seattle Times to secretly install spyware on the computer of a crime suspect. Not only does that cross a line, it erases it.” The FBI and US Attorney’s Office is working together to explain their side of the story. They say they had a warrant for the sting operation, but nowhere in the warrant does it say that “communication” would come disguised as an online report from the Seattle Times. Support Indymedia! Donate USD: http://nnn.is/donate-dollars Donate BTC: http://nnn.is/donate-bitcoin Download your free Next News "Heroes & Villains" Poster here: http://bit.ly/KgbQD5 LIVE: http://bit.ly/1eChpVo Facebook: http://on.fb.me/18RdIek Twitter: http://bit.ly/1eChqZD Sub: http://NNN.is/the_new_media Meet the Next News Team: http://bit.ly/18RdIen Hashtag: #N3 #SR
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