Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden

“For now, know that every border you cross, every purchase you make, every call you dial, every cell phone tower you pass, friend you keep, article you write, site you visit, subject line you type, and packet you route is in the hands of a system whose reach is unlimited, but who’s safeguards were not.” This was not spoken for the first time on the 22nd of February last week, but rather was quoted from Edward Snowden in 2013, and which still stands true nearly a decade later in 2022. He quoted himself on the line in his opening remarks of the Bucknell talk and continued, “In fact, the situation, as ever, has become more severe.” -Terrifying stuff. And almost as scary as the lens, on the screen, on the device, on which you currently read these words. That lens- and more internally, that device, has every possible bit of data on you that could possibly be imagined. And this was the basis for Edward Snowden on justifying his obligation to the American public in unveiling that we are being watched, I am being watched, and you are being watched. 

As you know, I was absent from the class where we discussed the issues of surveillance and freedom that a journalist can face in reporting on controversial or secret information in today’s digital world. However, I did luckily get to attend the Bucknell hosted talk via zoom with current U.S. fugitive Edward Snowden on publicly releasing information on the U.S. government’s surveillance of citizens. I was able to consider in depth the work of a journalist and have decidedly come to the conclusion that to be a journalist, to be a reporter, is not to ask what is acceptable to report on. It is not to ask what is acceptable knowledge and who should be allowed access to such knowledge. To report is to report faithfully and in full, and anything less is to be unanimous with deceit. I firmly believe that controversy is the engine to thoughtful, engaging conversation and the door to this such machine is obtained through well intentioned journalism. In the right hands it is the carrier pigeon that delivers controversy on swift wings. 

Edward Snowden’s encouragement to the public and to other controversy-awakening journalists was this, “An artist that has no courage is a decorator, but a citizen who has no courage is a subject.” 

“Stay free” – Edward Snowden