America’s dystopian nightmare is becoming more and more of a reality.
As pointed out by Bloomberg Law, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is looking for a contractor to monitor hundreds of thousands of journalists and “media influencers” around the globe.
The contractor will be required to compile a list of more than 290,000 news sources, such as online, print, broadcast, cable, radio, trade and industry publications, as well as social media. DHS also intends to track media coverage in more than 100 different languages, including Arabic, Chinese, and Russian.
The solicitation of services, which can be read here, also states that the contractor must collect data on media outlets’ circulation, top contributors, geographical spread, and “sentiment.”
“Services shall provide media comparison tools, design and rebranding tools, communication tools, and the ability to identify top media influencers,” the DHS posting read. “[the National Protection and Programs Directorate/ Office of the Under Secretary] has a critical need to incorporate these functions into their programs in order to better reach federal, state, local, tribal, and private partners.”
Though the ultimate goal and purpose of this database is kept fairly vague, the DHS posting comes at a time in which many government figures are questioning journalistic integrity. Cries of “fake news” have, unfortunately, blurred the line between fact and fiction, while the term has also been used to undermine the vital role of free press in American democracy.
Of course, most of us would like to see the end of fake news; however, this type of database could be a huge threat to the First Amendment. We've seen many political leaders—including President Donald Trump—attempt to discredit outlets and journalists who have reported critically on their positions and/or personal lives. These attempts could become much more frequent if these figures had access to a searchable database that monitors a source's “sentiment.”
According to Bloomberg Law, seven companies are currently vying for the contract. Applications are due by next Friday.
