As technological and legal changes have hollowed out the protections that reporters and news organizations have depended upon for decades, information security concerns facing journalists as they report, produce, and disseminate the news have only intensified. From source prosecutions to physical attacks and online harassment, the last two decades have seen a dramatic increase in the risks faced by journalists at all levels even as the media industry confronts drastic cutbacks in budgets and staff. As a result, few professional or aspiring journalists have a comprehensive understanding of what is required to keep their sources, stories, colleagues, and reputations safe.
This book is an essential guide to protecting news writers, sources, and organizations in the digital era. Susan E. Mc Gregor provides a systematic understanding of the key technical, legal, and conceptual issues that anyone teaching, studying, or practicing journalism should know. Bringing together expert insights from both leading academics and security professionals who work at and with news organizations from Buzz Feed to the Associated Press, she lays out key principles and approaches for building information security into journalistic practice. Mc Gregor draws on firsthand experience as a Wall Street Journal staffer, followed by a decade of researching, testing, and developing information security tools and practices. Filled with practical but evergreen advice that can enhance the security and efficacy of everything from daily beat reporting to long-term investigative projects, Information Security Essentials is a vital tool for journalists at all levels.
* Please note that older print versions of this book refer to Reuters’ Gina Chua by her previous name. This is being corrected in forthcoming print and digital editions.
Tabella dei contenuti
Introduction
1. The Essentials of Digital Communications
2. Digital Data in a Legal Frame
3. Assessing Risks and Threats
4. Everyday Essentials
5. Fundamentals for Field Reporting
6. Reporting Abroad
7. Creating a Culture of Security
8. Security Strategies for Teams
9. Working with Freelancers and Community Contributors
10. Essentials for Small Newsrooms
11. Managing Risk for a Midsized Newsroom
12. Security Strategies for Large Newsrooms
13. Facing Threats to the Profession
14. Looking Ahead
Notes
Index
Circa l’autore
Susan E. Mc Gregor is an associate research scholar at Columbia University’s Data Science Institute, where she also cochairs the Center for Data, Media, and Society. She was previously the assistant director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism and a full-time faculty member at Columbia Journalism School and senior programmer on the news graphics team at the
Wall Street Journal.