NSA contractor charged with leaking classified information to media

We used to have a classified customer that had one of our products (customer and project have long since been declassified). They would use it for various projects that were classified. For that reason, we could not even casually mention that they had one of our products, even in passing. Technically, if I told my wife the name of the customer, I could be prosecuted.

So, in essence, seemingly mundane things can be considered Top Secret.

 

How come the news outlet that obtained the information from her is not being held accountable as well? Leaks are huge proponent to political journalism but it seems none of the news outlets get punished, just the sources.

 

News outlets aren't bound by agreed upon security clearances. To get access to the top secret info, you basically sign away your 1st ammendment rights with respect to that information.

 

But what if they are found to have offered some sort of payment or incentive to their source for said information?

 

I think that's a good part of the problem. With a leak, we only see one data point and don't know the whole context. The leaker probably doesn't even know. Who knows what kind of unintended consequences that can result.

We have this first amendment thing. Generally, I believe the practice at least with respected outlets is that they don't pay for information. Maybe things get dicier if they do pay, which is probably why they don't.

 

I understand that but find it hard to believe that citizens only release this information to journalists for the sake of transparency for the American people. No source has ever received anything in exchange for the leak?

 

Like Private Manning. Oh wait, your demi-god pardoned Private Manning.