Edward Snowden on Pulitzer winners: 'Their work has given us a better future'

[cal04]

Last edited Mon Apr 14, 2014, 08:22 PM - Edit history (2)

NSA whistleblower praises Guardian and Washington Post after pair share Pulitzer prize for public service

(snip)
I am grateful to the committee for their recognition of the efforts of those involved in the last year's reporting, and join others around the world in congratulating Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, Barton Gellman, Ewen MacAskill and all of the others at the Guardian and Washington Post on winning the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.

Today's decision is a vindication for everyone who believes that the public has a role in government. We owe it to the efforts of the brave reporters and their colleagues who kept working in the face of extraordinary intimidation, including the forced destruction of journalistic materials, the inappropriate use of terrorism laws, and so many other means of pressure to get them to stop what the world now recognises was work of vital public importance.

This decision reminds us that what no individual conscience can change, a free press can. My efforts would have been meaningless without the dedication, passion, and skill of these newspapers, and they have my gratitude and respect for their extraordinary service to our society. Their work has given us a better future and a more accountable democracy.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/14/edward-snowden-pulitzer-statement-prize-guardian-washington-post


Snowden Calls Pulitzer For NSA Coverage A 'Vindication'
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/snowden-pulitzer-vinidcation

Roy Harris (Author of Pulitzer's Gold) discusses the win and the difference between the Guardian and Post's work
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/14/nsa-pulitzer-guardian-washington-post_n_5148015.html

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. What's sad is that the journalists had to be "brave" to do what needed (needs) to be done.

A free press can, of course, be good or bad, but, most certainly without freedom, the press will never be anything but bad. Albert Camus

[truedelphi]

2. K & R for reply number one

As well as K & R for the OP.

[truedelphi]

3. A rec and a shout out

Today I am thinking of Chelsea Manning as well as Snowden Glenn Greenwald, et al.

[rhett o rick]

4. Bravo to those that have the guts to stand up to those that would turn us

all into serfs.

[Whisp]

5. LoLdenschmuck

[NorthCarolina]

6. K&R. I wonder if the "Snowden is a Criminal" crowd will respond to this post,

or just let it go in the hopes it sinks.....quick.

[Cryptoad]

8. Comrade Snowden is not a criminal,,

he is a traitor, living in a new beach house in Crimea ! Salute!

[Jefferson23]

7. Recommend.

[WillyT]

9. HUGE K & R !!! - Thank You !!!

[LittleBlue]

10. So what will the Snowden detractors do now?

They can't very well claim "we knew this already" or "it's not important" when someone is awarded the Pulitzer for reporting it. Or can they?

Your move, NSA dupes.

[SaveOurDemocracy]

11. They are anxiously awaiting the new 'talking points', and will be along shortly.

.............................................. |

[saidsimplesimon]

12. Snowden is a hero, Greenwald not so much

Having spent considerable time exploring both the big L and little l for libertarians, I've found they are not all of the same strip. Some lean toward anarchist "no government, no banks" game plans. Others like the Koch Brothers, Murdock, the faux news gang, Ron and Rand Paul disgust me with their pandering to Republican members of the neo-con establishment, like the Newt.

Snowden lifted Greenwald's boat, not the other way around. I'm hoping Glenn is helping to provide Edward with financial support. We all know President Putin will not give Snowden a dime for extra protection without a quid pro quo. A Russian visa is just another way to say, "Welcome to the Hotel California", "you can check out but you can never leave".

[mc51tc]

13. Pulitzer Vindicates: Snowden Journalists Win Top Honor

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/04/14-6

"I can't imagine a more appropriate choice for a Pulitzer Prize," New York University media studies professor Mark Miller told AFP. Miller said that the winning team of reporters did what "American journalists are supposed to do, which is serve the public interest by shedding a bright light on egregious abuse of power by the government."

"The real journalistic heroes in this country tend to be the mavericks, the eccentrics, those who dare to report stories that are often dismissed derisively as 'conspiracy theory,'" Miller continued.

On Friday, Poitras and Greenwald returned to the U.S. for the first time since breaking the NSA stories to accept the prestigious George Polk Award for national security reporting.

During his acceptance speech for the George Polk award, Greenwald discussed the intimidation that both whistleblowers and journalists face.

"The only way to deal with threats," he said, "is to just do the reporting as aggressively, if not more so, than you would absent those threats."

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/apr/14/guardian-washington-post-pulitzer-nsa-revelations

"The Guardian and the Washington Post have been awarded the highest accolade in US journalism, winning the Pulitzer prize for public service for their groundbreaking articles on the National Security Agency’s surveillance activities based on the leaks of Edward Snowden."

Guardian staff raise toast to Edward Snowden after Pulitzer announced. Editor notes that prize for "public service".