Intelligence agencies like GCHQ have targeted journalists for years, mostly out of fear that they will miss any embarrassing strategic stories which embarrass their political masters. There are tons of pre-Internet scandals related to intelligence agencies wrong-doing being exposed by the media - especially in places like Northern Ireland during the Troubles. Look at the work of journalists like Peter Taylor, John Weir and stories like Murder on the Rock, Stevens Enquiry, Shoot to Kill, etc etc
The problem was that intelligence agencies never defined and acknowledged the difference between protecting from embarrassment when they got caught doing something wrong and protecting from security threats.
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Disagree.
Intelligence agencies like GCHQ have targeted journalists for years, mostly out of fear that they will miss any embarrassing strategic stories which embarrass their political masters. There are tons of pre-Internet scandals related to intelligence agencies wrong-doing being exposed by the media - especially in places like Northern Ireland during the Troubles. Look at the work of journalists like Peter Taylor, John Weir and stories like Murder on the Rock, Stevens Enquiry, Shoot to Kill, etc etc
The problem was that intelligence agencies never defined and acknowledged the difference between protecting from embarrassment when they got caught doing something wrong and protecting from security threats.