Spies for Hire

Since more countries, companies and politicians are relying on private investigators or spies to collect sensitive information, it is becoming exceptionally difficult even for journalists, who have a history of using informants, to tell the difference between real and fake information.

Private assets and informants cannot collect information with the same cross referencing as government intelligence agencies do and in our digital age, the issue of verifying authenticity is becoming more complex. The news world is more competitive than ever and journalists may be used by an informant to publicise sensational and untrue narratives or rent themselves out for hire. This New York Times article by Barry Meier on how renegade private spies are shaping the news is a worthwhile read.