NEW YORK TIMES: "Secret Sharers: The Hidden Ties Between Private Spies and Journalists"

From Barry Meier's 5-15-21 NEW YORK TIMES article entitled "Secret Sharers: The Hidden Ties Between Private Spies and Journalists":

Big law firms in New York and London are clamoring for the services of firms like Black Cube, an Israeli company that worked for Harvey Weinstein. Dictators are using private spies as freelance intelligence agents, and off-the-shelf technology is making it easier for them to monitor cellphones and hack emails. Over the past decade, spies for hire have become more emboldened — just as their power to influence events has become more pervasive.

While I was examining the private intelligence business, it became clear that I needed to look at another profession, the one where my career had been spent — journalism. Reporters and private investigators long have had a symbiotic relationship that is hidden from the public. Hired spies feed journalists story tips or documents and use reporters to plant stories benefiting a client without leaving their fingerprints behind.

To read Meier's entire article, click HERE.