There are at least two sides to every story — sometimes even more. It depends on how many characters there are and how they relate to each other. This story is about hackers and journalists in the news — and Godzilla??!
There are at least two sides to every story — sometimes even more. It depends on how many characters there are and how they relate to each other. This story is about hackers and journalists in the news — and Godzilla??!
To begin, it probably makes sense to take a step back from the people themselves (hackers and journalists) and look at their profession and the state of their respective industries. While our guests, Geoff and Jake, give us much more profound insight in the actual podcast, at the highest, most superficial level, we can say that nowadays journalism is all about ""the clicks"" and cybersecurity is all about ""the sky is falling."" This is not a good thing. Nevertheless, it is where we stand. In theory, these two dots should connect quite nicely—as humans, we love sky-is-falling stories so much that we click and share every article that brings those stories to us. Maybe it makes sense for the wallets, but it sure doesn't make sense for our brains, nor our society.
Don't you wish that things were that simple? Of course, it is not.
The problem is that, today, everyone is a ""journalist"" and there are endless ""cybersecurity experts"" out there. Each one with their own agenda, and with that, something to share with the public. Add to this mix the phenomenon of ""fake news"" and the onslaught of misinformation (remember the attention-hungry ""sky-is-falling"" stories we hear over and over and over?), and no wonder the relationship between these two roles can be seen by society as two people dancing.
Sure. They dance. Sometimes with love. Sometimes with disdain.
The question is: what music is the public hearing and are they dancing along?
What is the story that comes out in the news, and how much good is that doing for our society?
Is the beast feeding itself? Is Godzilla coming out of the ocean to destroy the city, or is it not a monster, but instead a benevolent being rebuilding a ruined city and peacefully going back to the sea?
Play the movie backwards and see what it looks like.
Put yourself in the other character's shoes. Be transparent and proceed as more profound as you can as you share the story. Take the time it takes to tell the truth and create trust with your audience.
Truth is what matters in the end, and that takes courage from both sides—no matter where you stand.
Guests
Geoff White, Investigative journalist covering technology, Crime Dot Com: BBC News, Forbes, Audible, Channel 4 News (@geoffwhite247 on Twitter)
Jake Williams, Founder, Rendition Infosec | Faculty Member, IANS (@MalwareJake on Twitter)
Resources
Book | Crime Dot Com: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crime-Dot-Com-Viruses-Rigging/dp/1789142857
Presentation | Understanding The Ethics Of CyberSecurity Journalism: https://www.blackhat.com/eu-19/briefings/schedule/index.html#hackers-journalists-and-the-ethical-swamp-17344
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