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Opinion Coverage of the NSA & the USA Freedom

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Opinion Coverage of the NSA & the USA Freedom December 5, 2013 Opinion Coverage of the NSA & the USA Freedom Act The following analysis is based on ReThink Media ‘s ongoing monitoring of news and opinion coverage of surveillance issues in the leading national outlets and in the top circulation papers by state. This analysis focuses in particular on opinion coverage of the NSA leaks since July 2013, and is comprised of editorial, op-ed, and commentary, with the goals of providing a comprehensive view of the landscape of domestic opinion coverage, identifying where messages and opinions have emerged on the NSA program, and highlighting strategic opportunities and recommendations for influencing opinion and editorial work, and placement moving forward. OPINION COVERAGE IS OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE As seen in several of the graphs in this analysis, opinion coverage has been overwhelmingly and consistently positive since the beginning of July with243 positive opinion pieces to 38 negative. Further, in examining the negative opinion pieces that did run, one obvious thread between them was that they rarely tackled the problematic aspects of the NSA head-on, instead focusing on Edward Snowden’s status as a whistleblower. One example, Jeffrey Toobin’s New Yorker piece, “Edward Snowden Is No Hero,” calls him a “grandiose narcissist who deserves to be in prison,” with little mention of the actual content of the leaks Snowden shared under a dismissive “What… did Snowden think the N.S.A. did?” CONSISTENT ACROSS THE UNITED STATES As the following detailed state-by-state map shows, opinion coverage has been generally consistently positive across the United States with a slightly disproportionate number of opinion pieces coming out of California and DC. This also shows that historically conservative outlets in generally conservative markets have not actively rushed to the defense of the NSA. The state map also indicates the key states where Senate Judiciary Committee members reside (marked as Democrat or Republican), the number of opinion pieces published in that state, and the overall sentiment of pieces that have appeared in the leading circulation papers since July (see complete list of outlets included in this report below). *For the purposes of this analysis, we limited our focus to the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. However, if there is sufficient interest in developing a comprehensive communications strategy, we can easily expand our analysis to include a breakdown of the key states of House Judiciary Committee members. 2 of 5 EDITORIALS HAVE DOMINATED When you examine Senate Judiciary states you quickly see that editorials have dominated commentary relative to op-eds and columns. As the chart below shows, of the 137 opinion pieces appearing in these states, 71 were editorials, 30 were op-eds, and 36 were columns. This influx of editorials, is due in part to the successful outreach of groups like the ACLU and TCP who distributed editorial packets on the Freedom Act within hours of the bill dropping, but there is a clear opportunity for additional tailored outreach that would likely yield even more positive pieces. Every editorial board in America that has weighed in positively on the side of NSA reform and increased oversight and transparency over the past five months will be inclined to weigh in again with clearer recommendations as we move closer to votes. The interest is there and at present, it overwhelmingly tilts in our favor. Largely favorable editorial positions at most outlets coupled with the fact that op-eds represent a dramatically smaller portion of the published pieces in both key states and across the country, indicates that there is an enormous gap our community could be filling with opinion coverage in the months ahead in key states in both the House and Senate. The strategic opportunity here is for our coalition to target Senate Judiciary Committee members (and other key committees and targets) with in-district commentary supporting the merits of USA FREEDOM Act while emphasizing the shortcomings of the FISA Improvements Act. This is the one area where op-eds have been lacking since July and merit additional outreach by technologists, policy advocates, grassroots privacy advocates, and other outside validators. We understand that not every organization within the surveillance coalition will explicitly endorse the USA FREEDOM Act. However, if groups build upon the momentum already in place with additional opinion pieces that call for a more restrained and accountable NSA and discuss advocacy options in addition to those two legislative options within those pieces, we believe op-ed boards will be incredibly receptive, opening a clear avenue for influencing decision-makers. BREAKDOWN OF OPINION COVERAGE AND SENTIMENT IN TARGETED JUDICIARY STATES: Editorial Op-Ed Commentary Positive Negative NeUtral Alabama 0 0 0 0 0 0 Arizona 3 1 0 3 0 1 California 33 9 12 44 10 0 ConnecticUt 0 0 0 0 0 0 Delaware 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hawaii 0 0 1 0 1 0 Illinois 7 2 3 10 1 1 Iowa 3 1 3 4 2 1 Minnesota 1 0 1 2 0 0 New York 14 17 9 36 1 3 Rhode Island 0 0 1 1 0 0 SoUth Carolina 0 0 0 0 0 0 Texas 5 0 1 5 0 1 Utah 2 0 2 4 0 0 Vermont 3 0 3 6 0 0 Total: 137 71 30 36 115 15 7 3 of 5 OUTREACH TO COLUMNISTS This graph breaks out the top 20 most influential columnists who have weighed in on this issue and dominated commentary over the past five months. ReThink Media strongly recommends prioritizing those who have previously weighed in favorably because they will be receptive to weighing in again as policy options and their implications become clearer. For example, David Firestone wrote on the NSA and surveillance twice earlier this summer, but slowly moved away from NSA/surveillance as a topic as the year wore on. Many of these columnists need to be reengaged. Additionally ReThink is identifying potential amenable commentators that have not weighed in yet that we think should be interested and influential. RETHINK SUPPORT ReThink staff are available to assist with a broader opinion campaign within the surveillance coalition to support the beneficial aspects of the USA FREEDOM Act while also drawing greater attention to the shortcomings of the FISA Improvements Act. We can identify key points of contact for coalition members, from editorial desk editors to op-ed editors, and coordinate tailored op-ed outreach to targeted states. We also recognize the need for an updated set of talking points as necessary and will be available within the coalition to review, edit, and pitch op-eds. We will continue to track opinion coverage, adjusting targets as necessary, and will provide updates to the surveillance community on progress. METHODOLOGY Opinion data is made up of editorials, columns, and op-eds that mentioned “NSA” or “surveillance program.” These pieces were further broken down by sentiment: positive indicates that the opinion piece advocated for greater restrictions and oversight to be placed against the NSA. Negative pieces justified the NSA’s current programs without advocating change, and neutral pieces either included positive and negative arguments or did not come down one way or the other on the future of surveillance programs SOURCE LIST (OUTLET & LOCATION) The Advocate - Baton Rouge, LA Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Atlanta, GA Akron Beacon Journal - Newsbank, OH Austin American-Statesman - Austin, TX The Albuquerque Journal - Albuquerque, NM Augusta Chronicle - Augusta, ME Anchorage Daily News - Anchorage, AK Baltimore Sun - Baltimore, MD Argus Leader - Sioux Falls, SD Bangor Daily News - Bangor, ME Arizona Daily Star - Tucson, AZ Billings gazette - Billings, MT Arizona Republic - Phoenix, AZ Birmingham News - Birmingham, AL Arkansas Democrat-Gazette - Little Rock, AR Bismarck Tribune - Bismarck, ND Asbury Park Press - Monmouth County, NJ Boston globe - Boston, MA 4 of 5 Boston Herald - Boston, MA Journal News -Westchester County, NY Buffalo News - Buffalo, NY Kansas City Star - Kansas City, MO Burlington Free Press - Burlington, VT Knoxville News-Sentinel - Knoxville, TN The Californian - Salinas, CA Las Cruces Sun-News - Las Cruces, NM The Capital - Annapolis, MD Las Vegas Review Journal - Las Vegas, NV Charleston Daily Mail - Charleston, WV Las Vegas Sun - Las Vegas, NV Charleston gazette - Charleston, WV Lewiston Morning Tribune - Lewiston, ID Charleston Observer - Charleston, SC Los Angeles Times - Los Angeles, CA Chicago Daily Herald - Chicago, IL Miami Herald - Miami, FL Chicago Sun-Times - Chicago, IL Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel - Milwaukee, WI Chicago Tribune - Chicago, IL Mobile Register - Mobile, AL Cincinnati Enquirer - Cincinnati, OH Morning Call - Allentown, PA Clarion-Ledger - Jackson, MS New Haven Register - New Haven, CT Columbus Dispatch - Columbus, OH New York Post - NY, NY Commercial Appeal - Memphis, TN New York Times - NY, NY Contra Consta Times - Contra Costa, CA News and Observer - Raleigh, NC Courier-Journal - Louisville, KY News Journal - Wilmington, DE Daily News of Los Angeles - Los Angeles, CA News Tribune - Tacoma, WA Daily Oklahoman - Oklahoma City, OK Newsday - NY, NY Dallas Morning News - Dallas, TX Olathe News - Johnson County, KS Dayton Daily News - Dayton, OH Omaha World-Herald - Omaha, NE Denver Post - Denver, CO Orange County Register - Orange County, CA Des Moines Register - Des Moines, IA The Oregonian - Portland, OR Deseret Morning News - Salt Lake City, UT Orlando Sentinel - Orlando, FL Detroit Free Press - Detroit Michigan Palm Beach Post - Palm Beach, FL Detroit News - Detroit Michigan Philadelphia Inquirer - Philadelphia, PA Florida
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