The Department of Homeland Security wants to compile a database to monitor hundreds of thousands of news outlets and journalists around the world.
Bloomberg Law reports that
DHS is looking for a contractor to help build the database and keep track of
more than 290,000 news sources, collecting data about each source’s
"sentiment," influence, language, and circulation. The data would
allow the agency to identify "any and all" coverage related to a
particular event, DHS officials told Bloomberg Law.
The tracking would apply to online, print, broadcast, cable, and
radio sources — essentially, any journalist, editor, blogger, or correspondent
deemed a possible "media influencer" could be included. DHS also
wants to follow social media activity and hopes to be able to instantly
translate coverage in more than 100 languages to English to add to the
database.
"Services
shall provide media comparison tools, design and rebranding tools,
communication tools, and the ability to identify top media influencers," DHS
said in a statement. The service would fill "a critical need to
incorporate these functions into [DHS] programs in order to better reach
federal, state, local, tribal, and private partners."
Government
officials have recently put various media under the microscope. Nineteen
lawmakers questioned last month whether news outlet Al Jazeera, a state-owned
media company based in Qatar, should be considered a foreign agent because of
its coverage that "undermines" U.S. interests. The Congressional
Black Caucus, meanwhile, criticized the FBI for monitoring online activity of
suspected "black identity extremists" in November.
Seven
companies have reportedly put in a bid for the contract with DHS. Read more
at Bloomberg Law. Summer
Meza
Please go here for the original article: http://theweek.com/speedreads/765665/homeland-security-start-collecting-data-hundreds-thousands-journalists
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