In recent months, mainstream media, primarily the New York Times (NYT), has intensified attacks against whistleblowers. The NYT’s former prestige in intellectual and political spheres has now dwindled.
The Hypocrisy of the New York Times
However, the recent trend in media coverage has given rise to a neoconservative agenda that seeks to suppress and silence those who would expose government corruption and wrongdoing. This agenda has found an ally in the NYT, which has taken a sharp turn away from its founding principles of truth-telling and unbiased reporting. Instead, the NYT has joined the chorus of voices seeking to discredit and demonize whistleblowers, portraying them as selfish and reckless individuals who endanger national security.
This portrayal is both inaccurate and hypocritical, given that the NYT has a long history of publishing classified information obtained from anonymous sources. For example, the paper was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1972 for its coverage of the Pentagon Papers, a classified study of the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.
The Neocon Agenda and the Fourth Estate
The neocon agenda driving this trend is not new. It has been around since the late 20th century and has taken various forms. However, it has gained significant traction in recent years, particularly since the election of Donald Trump as President. Neoconservatives have long been advocates of a robust national security state, and they view whistleblowers as a threat to this state. Their ultimate goal is to consolidate power and control over information, ensuring that only a select few can access classified information. Craig Murray writes:
They did not contact Teixeira, speak to him, ask him to explain his motivation and look through the other secret material to which he had access, to get Teixeira’s view on its meaning and implications and to publish what in it was in the public interest.
Instead, they simply shopped him to the F.B.I. and closed down the remaining documents.
I am not at all surprised by Bellingcat, which is plainly a spook organisation. I hope this enables more people to see through them. But the behaviour of The New York Times and Washington Post is truly shocking. They now see their mission as to serve the security state, not public knowledge.
https://consortiumnews.com/2023/04/19/craig-murray-snowden-teixeira/
This agenda is dangerous and goes against the principles of democracy and press freedom. Therefore, independent media must stand up against this trend and defend the rights of whistleblowers. Whistleblowers play an essential role in holding government officials accountable for their actions, and they deserve protection and support from the media and the public.
In conclusion, the attacks on whistleblowers by mainstream media, notably the New York Times, are both hypocritical and dangerous. They serve the neoconservative agenda of consolidating power and control over information, thus threatening press freedom and democracy. Independent media must stand up against this trend and support the vital role played by whistleblowers in holding government officials accountable. Only then can we ensure a just and transparent society?
