Dana Priest is an award winning journalist for the Washington Post. In the past she has investigated the US government with regards to improper military practices, CIA interrogations and secret prisons.
Recently, she answered some of her readers questions about her work and subject matter. We’ve selected some of the more interesting questions and answers for critique.
Citizens Under Surveillance
One reader asked a concerning question about hobbyists who might be investigated because they have an interest in technology, airplanes, infrastructure and related fields. So, an amateur programmer or airplane enthusiast could find themselves on a weird database or under surveillance.
Dana replied with some practical advice:
“This is an area thick with problems. My best advice is to carry some proof that you are a member of some kind of enthusiasts group and if you see a policeman or someone else watching you, go talk to him/her. Putting people like you in the database wastes everyone’s time.” replied Dana
The Introduction of Sharia Law
Another reader inquired about Dana’s belief that much of the American-Muslim community would like to see Sharia law enforced in the US, something she has written about in the past. He was skeptical while she was quite the opposite, insisting that support for Sharia law was on the rise.
“We have only begun to see this train of thinking. We will see much more of it,” read her short reply.
While she may have some substance to found those beliefs on, I think Dana should tread carefully as she has a powerful position in the media and could alienate sections of the Muslim community by making such broad allegations.
Anti-Terrorism Funding
When a reader put to Dana that the likelihood of being killed by a terrorist attack is less than being hit by lightening and asks how can spending such huge amounts on security be justified, Dana seems to dodge the question personally, by quoting a CIA official who thinks the same as the readers. This intrigued me and made me suspect that Dana might be a reporter who thrives on media hype.
One reader asked about why the American public, generally, felt betrayed by the government and sympathetic to WikiLeaks upon the release of 250,000 documents, many of which contained information on innocent US citizens, and yet there was still no repeal against the Patriot Act.
Dana simply responded with a small remark about how government officials only seem to talk when something effects them personally.
“I do know, from personal experience, that government officials sometimes feel more willing to talk when the internal review process doesn't work at all, and when whatever it is they are concerned about seems, to them at least, to be a big deal.”
Stay Vigilant Against Government Corruption
I think the final question in the interview really summed up the change in America since 9/11, the government’s response, the peoples' feelings and Dana’s own line of work.
“The question becomes how do we stop it? This country bears no resemblance to the open and democratic society I knew before 9-11. All the values we held dear in 1999 when I came for a Hill internship have been turned on their head in the name of security theater. How can we stop these abuses and get these dollars re-directed into Social Security and Medicare, where they were supposed to have been going all along?” - asked one reader.
“I'm not at all this pessimistic but I think people need to pay attention to what the government is doing. So does the media, and we aren't doing enough of that these days.”
Dean is our Ireland based journalist and writer with an eye for catching the stories that the mainstream reporters miss. Dean has 56 post(s) at Top Secret Writers
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