‘I have some bad news’: Edward Snowden rips ex-CNN White House reporter for saying journalists don’t expect govt spying & lying
American whistleblower Edward Snowden and many others mocked a former CNN White House correspondent for insinuating that US government lies and spying were unique to the Trump administration and reporters don’t expect it.
Michelle Kosinski, who worked as CNN’s White House correspondent between 2014 and 2019, claimed on Saturday that “as an American journalist, you never expect” your “own govt to lie to you,” “hide information the public has a right to know,” and “spy on your communications.”
“Trump’s unAmerican regime did all of these. No one should accept this,” she concluded.
As an American journalist, you never expect:1. Your own govt to lie to you, repeatedly2. Your own govt to hide information the public has a right to know3. Your own govt to spy on your communicationsTrump's unAmerican regime did all of these.No one should accept this.
— Michelle Kosinski (@MichLKosinski) May 8, 2021
Kosinski was quickly ridiculed, both for suggesting that American journalists were so naive and for making government surveillance and disinformation appear exclusive to former President Donald Trump’s brief administration.
As an American journalist, you should probably expect all of these things in enormous quantities https://t.co/QGqLkQHXV9
— Emily G (not a newspaper) (@EmilyGorcenski) May 8, 2021
As an American journalist, this tweet made me burst out laughing. Trump took things to a new level but none of this started – or ended – with him. https://t.co/3eRngLFPH5
— Hunter Walker (@hunterw) May 8, 2021
Whistleblower and former CIA employee Edward Snowden – who leaked information about the National Security Agency’s mass surveillance program on civilians and had to flee the US – told Kosinski, “I’m afraid I have some bad news.”
I'm afraid I have some bad news: https://t.co/28DQb8i1CFhttps://t.co/rLOH9cuwjL
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) May 8, 2021
“You are hideously unqualified to be a journalist if you think this, good lord,” tweeted another person, while journalist Alan MacLeod called Kosinski’s thought process “the level of naive state worship required to get a top job in the media.”
Who wants to tell her? https://t.co/Ic7SPqdzpp
— Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) May 8, 2021
got some bad news https://t.co/gXBX7xIftF
— elizabeth bruenig (@ebruenig) May 8, 2021
Despite the heavy criticism, Kosinski stood by her post, claiming Trump’s “tens of thousands of outright lies, treasonous allegiances, and attacks on democracy” weren’t “equivalent” to the mass surveillance and disinformation campaigns from previous administrations.
Also on rt.com Snowden says Assange prosecution shows Biden’s lip service to ‘brave journalists’ on World Press Freedom Day rings hollowThink your friends would be interested? Share this story!