(TheIndependentStar.com) – Tucker Carlson’s claim that the government is surveilling him brought about concern over privacy rights and the freedom of the press. It also sparked discussions about government surveillance and whether it’s justifiable.
A July 6 Rasmussen Reports poll showed 59% of respondents feel it is somewhat likely the government spies on journalists and political opposition. Results also had 36% of people saying it was very likely they do it. Of the people in these groups, 61% don’t trust the government’s judgment in conducting this type of surveillance.
Why not? They're spying on everyone else.
Poll: Majority of Voters Think the Government is Spying on Journalists https://t.co/rPsCgdHVmz via @BreitbartNews
— Rholf Troy (@rholftroy) July 7, 2021
The poll comes from surveys conducted over the phone and online from June 30 to July 1. This was shortly after the Carlson story broke on June 28.
With a +/- 3% margin of error, the poll question was “how likely is it that the US government spies on critical journalists and political opponents?” There were 1,000 respondents who Rasmussen categorized as “likely voters.”
The responses show that people don’t trust the government and feel it is conducting underhanded operations to gather information. Specifically, they think federal agencies are compromising the freedom of the press and suppressing First Amendment rights.
Agencies like the NSA have faced accusations of spying in the past, so this isn’t a new situation. They often claim any surveillance they do is for the good of the country and to uphold US security.
Should federal agencies be able to monitor journalists? Should they be able to suppress the rights afforded by the Constitution if they think it is in the best interests of the nation?
Copyright 2021, TheIndependentStar.com
