Most of America’s investigative journalists believe their government has spied on them, according to a Pew Research Centre study.
Some 64% of participants in Pew’s survey said that the US government had “probably collected data” on their phone calls, emails and other online communications.
The report surveyed 671 members of an organisation called Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), which includes reporters, producers, editors, data specialists and photojournalists.
Reporters who covered national security, foreign affairs or the government were the most convinced., with 71% of them saying they believed data was being collected from their communications.
Despite their concerns about surveillance, it hasn’t stopped the journalists from pursuing stories. Just 14% claim to have decided not to continue with an investigation or to reach out to a source.
Instead, many of the 454 respondents have altered their behaviour in the past 12 months, with 49% saying they have changed the way they store or share sensitive documents.
And among those who identified themselves as reporters, 38% said that in the past year they have changed the way they communicate with sources.
Source: Pew Research Centre