‘YOU’RE JUST SPIES’
THE EUROPEAN Commission has accused journalists reporting its activities of being potential spies.
A confidential letter from the director of the commission’s security services, leaked to a German paper, said: “The threat of espionage is increasing day by day. A number of countries, information seekers, lobbyists, journalists, private agencies and other third parties are continuing to seek sensitive and classified information.”
“This sort of loose talk ends up smearing everyone working in journalism,” said Aidan White, General Secretary of the European Federation of Journalists. “It puts journalists at risk and makes their job of scrutinising public officials more difficult.”
Asked to comment, commission spokesperson Valerie Rampi said (really): “We are not only pointing the finger at journalists. It could be the pretty trainee with the long legs and the blonde hair.”