I used to believe journalists were objective.
After all, I was one.
I had - like many entering the field - this romanticized illusion that journalists were driven by the pursuit of truth.
But my transition from journalism to intelligence opened my eyes to a disturbing reality: journalists are far more vulnerable to manipulation than they think.
TL;DR
- The hidden relation: journalist and its sources
- Why journalists fall into the asymmetric trap
- Journalists as intelligence assets
- What happens when media narratives drift far from reality?
- Behind headlines are often boring human errors
- Can manipulation be avoided?
- A call to journalists: embrace accountability!
The hidden relationship: journalist and sources
Every investigative journalist relies heavily on their sources.
To write compelling stories, journalists cultivate strong relationships with people in power: politicians, business leaders, insiders.
But there's a dark side to it.
When a source proactively approaches a journalist with a "scoop", it's NEVER, EVER... innocent.
There's always an underlying agenda: political influence, economic interests, personal interest...
I saw this firsthand when an influential source fed a leading journalist information about key geopolitical figures.
The journalist jumped on it, unaware they were being manipulated to create pressure on those targeted individuals.
Journalists become tools of coercion.