Print Media as Source of Intelligence Gathering

Intelligence gathering in the modern world has manifested the apparent advantage in the practice of collecting and getting information from open or unconcealed media sources which are publicly accessible. This is primarily for the reason that a publicly-available source or the nature of open-source opposes secrecy thereby making the process of analyzing and determining the relevance of the collected information easier and comprehensive. Among the basis of open-source intelligence and information is the print media which includes the newspaper and magazine.

Print media is as an excellent source of intelligence gathering because a newspaper or magazine report has already earned its integrity in the intelligence community.

Kingsbury (2008) reported that the use of open-source or information which is not classified such as newspaper or magazine article has obtained reliability within the intelligence community (Kingsbury, 2008). The use of print media as source of intelligence gathering is a practice that intelligence agencies such as CIA have accepted in principle. In fact, CIA’s use of media practitioners, print journalists in particular, has long been practiced.

Bernstein (1977) has written that many print journalists were being used by the said agency because their reputation and the quality of their works are regarded as the best in the industry (Bernstein, 1977).

This distinctive characteristic of print media, in turn, made it appealing for the intelligence community to use the newspaper or magazine reports of print journalists as sources of their intelligence gathering. In particular, Bernstein said that the journalistic type and manner of coverage, specifically by foreign print correspondents, are ideal for such task wherein the reporters are given access and allowed to enter in off-limit areas (Bernstein, 1977).

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In short, print media is a perfect source of intelligence gathering because of the inquisitive coverage of print journalists and it is only through print media that intelligence agencies are able to acquire all possible information that other sectors have denied.

References

1. Bernstein, C. (1977, October 20). The CIA and the Media. Rolling Stone Magazine, 250.
2. Kingsbury, A. (2008). Spy Agencies Turn to Newspapers, NPR, and Wikipedia for Information. U.S. News. Retrieved September 23, 2008 from U.S. News database.