Glenn Greenwald Takes Apart David Gregory for Trying to Criminalize Journalism

[KoKo]

Last edited Sun Jun 23, 2013, 11:24 AM - Edit history (2)

June 23, 2013 07:50 AM
Glenn Greenwald Takes Apart David Gregory for Trying to Criminalize Journalism

VIDEO SNIP available at C&L:

While discussing the news this Sunday that NSA leaker Edward Snowden has now fled Hong Kong and is heading for Venezuela with the help of WikiLeaks and the Obama administrations extremely aggressive treatment of whistleblowers, The Guardian columnist Glenn Greenwald let Meet the Press host David Gregory have it when he asked Greenwald if we ought to be prosecuting journalists such as himself for publishing these leaks.

GREGORY: To the extent that you have aided and abetted Snowden, even in his current movement, why shouldn't you, Mr. Greenwald be charged with a crime?

GREENWALD: I think it's pretty extraordinary that anybody who would call themselves a journalist would publicly muse about whether or not other journalist should be charged with felonies. The assumption in your question David is completely without evidence – the idea that I've aided and abetted him in any way.

The scandal that arose in Washington before our stories began was about the fact that the Obama administration is trying to criminalize investigative journalism by going through the emails and phone records of AP reporters, accusing a Fox News journalist of the theory that you just embraced, being a co-conspirator in felonies for working with sources. If you want to embrace that theory that every investigative journalist in the United States who work with their sources, who receive classified information is a criminal, and it's precisely those theories and precisely that climate that has become so menacing in the United States.

It's why The New Yorker's Jane Mayer said investigative reporting has come to a standstill, her word, as a result of the theory that you just referenced.

GREGORY: Well the question of who's a journalist may be up to a debate with regard to what you are doing. Of course, anybody who's watching this understands I was asking a question, and that question has been raised by lawmakers as well. I'm not embracing anything, but obviously, I take your point.

Greenwald reacted to the question by Gregory on Twitter as well this Sunday.

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/glenn-greenwald-takes-apart-david-gregory


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[KoKo]

1. Greenwald did an excellent job with Gregory's questions and accusations.

I imagine one of our DU'ers will post the Video when it's available. It would be a Must Watch. I haven't watched Gregory in years...but, was checking US media to see how his transit from Hong Kong would be covered here.

[Catherina]

2. Keep it coming KoKo! I'm glued to RT right now

[KoKo]

3. RT is where I was... Great reporting there...but, other

person in house wanted to see what the US news was up to and yelled..."Dances with Rove" has Glenn Greenwald on about Snowden! ....so I flipped over quick.

I was glad I watched it...and will try to find video when it comes up at NBC.

[Catherina]

4. Thank you!

Solidarity

[KoKo]

5. David Gregory To Glenn Greenwald: 'Why Shouldn't You Be Charged With A Crime?'

David Gregory To Glenn Greenwald: 'Why Shouldn't You Be Charged With A Crime?'


Meet the Press" host David Gregory asked columnist Glenn Greenwald why he shouldn't be charged with a crime for working with NSA leaker Edward Snowden.

Greenwald, who was on to discuss Snowden's Sunday morning flight from Hong Kong to Moscow. (It is unclear where Snowden will ultimately land, though reports have suggested he is headed to Venezuela.) At the tail end of the conversation, Gregory suddenly asked Greenwald why the government shouldn't be going after him.

"To the extent that you have aided and abetted Snowden, even in his current movements, why shouldn't you, Mr. Greenwald, be charged with a crime?" he asked.

Greenwald replied that it was "pretty extraordinary that anybody who would call themselves a journalist would publicly muse" about such a thing, and that there was no evidence to back up Gregory's claim that he had "aided" Snowden.

Gregory replied that "the question of who's a journalist may be up to debate with regards to what you're doing," but added that he was merely posing a question others have asked, and not taking sides.

Greenwald tweeted about the exchange soon after:

Who needs the government to try to criminalize journalism when you have David Gregory to do it?
-- Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 23, 2013

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/23/david-gregory-glenn-greenwald-crime_n_3486654.html

[jsr]

12. "Who needs the government to try to criminalize journalism when you have David Gregory to do it?"

Great line.

[Babel_17]

6. "the question of who's a journalist"

How dare he say that given who is colleagues are. How dare he, given the format and track record of the show he hosts.

I hope he catches hell for this and pays a price in his ratings.

"that question has been raised by lawmakers"

He incriminates himself with that gem. How can he ignore the many, many, ludicrous and despicable questions raised by lawmakers?

Are "lawmakers" now such arbiters of what gets asked that Gregory can excuse his acting as a stenographer for them, reading back their talking points?

[KoKo]

7. The whole interview was incredible..but NBC hasn't put the video up yet...

The exchanges between the two at least got some transcripts at Huff Post and Crooks & Liars.

I wondered if NBC was holding back the Video of the exchange because Gregory came off so badly and Greenwald did so well at discussion what Snowden had revealed. Greenwald sensibly laid out the issues at stake. Gregory acted true to form for going on the attack to make Greenwald the "enemy" and try to diffuse the issue but Greenwald stuck with it and didn't let himself get sidetracked or into the mud.

[Babel_17]

13. Gregory was tasked

Gregory, as a a good citizen of the Washington Village, knew his task, knew his narrative.

I'll have to wait and see if he asks any pertinent questions. I want to see if he asks what Snowden found wrong with the system, what Greenwald thinks the public should know.

[limpyhobbler]

8. I would rather see David Gregory charged with a crime. This must qualify somehow...

[B2G]

11. Well there WAS that whole assault rifle stunt. nt

[Harmony Blue]

10. Gregory sucks as a jouranlist

[backscatter712]

14. The answer isn't obvious?

Why shouldn't Greenwald be charged with a crime?

BECAUSE HE DIDN'T COMMIT ONE, YOU FASCIST REPTILE!

[DirkGently]

15. This is the core right here. Truth telling is not treason.

It is not a crime to disseminate to the American public information that has been wrongfully withheld from it. We cannot afford even a whiff of the conceit that whistle blowing will be treated as "espionage" as this administration has wrongfully done on many occasions.