The War on Journalism by Andrew Fowler Summary
Overview of The War on Journalism
In "The War on Journalism," investigative veteran Andrew Fowler exposes how governments silence truth-seekers in our post-Snowden world. What's the real cost when whistleblowers are hunted and media moguls control the narrative? Democracy's watchdogs are under fire - and we're all paying the price.
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Key takeaways
When Truth Becomes Treason and Coups Require Complicit Newsrooms
Picture a 26-year-old tech worker sitting in a Hawaiian office, watching in real time as his government vacuums up the private communications of millions of innocent people. Edward Snowden faced a choice that summer of 2012: stay silent and complicit, or risk everything to expose the truth. He chose the latter, but not before carefully considering where to take his evidence. The New York Times? They'd previously sat on explosive national security stories after "consulting" with officials. The Washington Post? When they finally published some of Snowden's documents, they admitted to clearing it with the government first and only printed four of the 41 slides he'd provided. This wasn't journalism-it was stenography with a permission slip. Snowden's decision to bypass establishment media and reach out to filmmaker Laura Poitras and blogger Glenn Greenwald marked a watershed moment. Traditional gatekeepers had failed so spectacularly that a whistleblower risking life imprisonment trusted independent outsiders more than Pulitzer-winning institutions. Intelligence agencies undermining elected governments sounds like conspiracy theory material until you examine the historical record. In 1960s Britain, roughly 30 MI5 officers actively plotted against Prime Minister Harold Wilson, convinced without evidence he was a Soviet spy. This wasn't passive suspicion-it was an organized campaign involving military leaders and media barons. General Sir Walter Walker assembled a private army while Lord Mountbatten reportedly stood ready to have the Queen request military intervention during manufactured "breakdowns in law and order." The media's role proved essential to this shadow coup. Mountbatten cultivated journalists like Chapman Pincher, inviting him to his palatial estate for exclusive access. Pincher specialized in flattering intelligence agencies, becoming what historian E.P. Thompson brilliantly described as "a kind of official urinal where high officials of MI5 and MI6 stand side by side patiently leaking." Meanwhile, "Clockwork Orange"-a black propaganda operation-planted forged documents through journalists suggesting Labour ministers were communists or IRA sympathizers. Australia experienced similar interference when Prime Minister Gough Whitlam questioned US military bases on Australian soil. Rupert Murdoch's newspapers turned viciously against him, declaring the country was "Spinning Out of Control." When Whitlam threatened to close the Pine Gap surveillance facility, former CIA officer Victor Marchetti later admitted it "caused apoplexy in the White House." On November 11, 1975, Governor-General Sir John Kerr-who had CIA connections-dismissed the elected government.
Silicon Valley's Military DNA and the Newspaper Apocalypse
When Journalists Become Criminals
The War Sold on Lies
A New Kind of Intelligence Agency
No Place Left to Hide
Defending Democracy in the Digital Age
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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