Journalism in an age of Terror: Covering and Uncovering the Secret State

Description

The threat of terrorism and the increasing power of terrorist groups have prompted a rapid growth of the security services and changes in legislation permitting collection of communications data. This provides journalism with acute dilemmas. The media claims responsibility for holding power to account, yet cannot know more than superficial details about the newly empowered secret services. This book is the first to analyse, in the aftermath of the Snowden/NSA revelations, relations between two key institutions in the modern state: the intelligence services and the news media. It provides the answers to crucial questions including: how can power be held to account if one of the greatest state powers is secret? How far have the Snowden/NSA revelations damaged the activities of the secret services? And have governments lost all trust from journalists and the public? Cover Page Editorial Committee Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Preface: Divided by a Common Commitment to Democracy Acknowledgements 1. Fictions Before Facts 2. Losing and Finding the Plot 3. Down with the State and its Servile Hacks! 4. The Breaking of Freedom’s Back? 5. Le jour de guerre est arrivé Conclusion: More Light to Lighten the Darkness Notes Index