Information Security Essentials : A Guide for Reporters, Editors, and Newsroom Leaders

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. McGregor 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 BuzzFeed to the Associated Press, she lays out key principles and approaches for building information security into journalistic practice. McGregor 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. As technological and legal changes have hollowed out theprotections that reporters and news organizations have dependedupon for decades, information security concerns facing journalistsas they report, produce, and disseminate the news have onlyintensified. From source prosecutions to physical attacks andonline harassment, the last two decades have seen a dramaticincrease in the risks faced by journalists at all levels even asthe media industry confronts drastic cutbacks in budgets and staff.As a result, few professional or aspiring journalists have acomprehensive understanding of what is required to keep theirsources, stories, colleagues, and reputations safe. This book is anessential guide to protecting news writers, sources, andorganizations in the digital era. Susan E. McGregor provides asystematic understanding of the key technical, legal, andconceptual issues that anyone teaching, studying, or practicingjournalism should know. Bringing together expert insights from bothleading academics and security professionals who work at and withnews organizations from BuzzFeed to the Associated Press,she lays out key principles and approaches for building informationsecurity into journalistic practice. McGregor draws on firsthandexperience as a Wall Street Journal staffer, followed by adecade of researching, testing, and developing information securitytools and practices. Filled with practical but evergreen advicethat can enhance the security and efficacy of everything from dailybeat reporting to long-term investigative projects, InformationSecurity Essentials is a vital tool for journalists at alllevels "In the nearly seven years since the Snowden revelations, information security concerns for news organizations and members of the press have only intensified worldwide. In the United States, a record-breaking number of whistleblower prosecutions under the Obama administration has been followed by outright aggression towards the press from the Trump presidency. Globally, information requests, imprisonment, and surveillance of journalists are at an all-time high. In Information Security Essentials, Susan McGregor provides an accurate and accessible understanding of the key issues and approaches for thinking about and building information security into journalistic practice. Aimed at students, working journalists, and media organizations, the book lays out the principles of information security that will allow journalists to undertake important and, at times, risky work. McGregor builds on years of original academic research, interviews with dozens of journalists, editors and information security experts, and first-hand experience with the tools and techniques described. The book serves both as an introduction and reference for anyone wishing to improve the security of their information and information-gathering in order to protect themselves, their colleagues, their sources, and their stories. Topics discuss include the legal and technological contexts of information security, threat modeling and attack trees, working internationally, developing an institutional culture of security, the impact of misinformation, and online harassment"-- Provided by publisher