|
The Media
Mike Hudack
Editor-in-Chief
Hackers and the computer underground in general have, traditionally, been camera shy. At the same time, however, crackers (script kiddies and defacers) along with the so-called opposition (law enforcement, etc.) have been extraodinarily media friendly. How can the underground expect to be shown in an objective, much less favorable, light under such conditions?
Hacking and the underground have been big news as of late. Dozens of high-profile Web defacements coupled with high-impact virii have placed the underground in the full interest of the public eye. Naturally defacements and virii are only a tiny portion of the underground as members know it. But people seeing these news stories referring to hackers as the spreaders of virii or the defacers of Web sites arenīt going to see it that way.
Unfortunately, the only interviews most journalists can get for their stories are the script kiddies and the enforcers. The script kiddies who deface sites often do it for attention or as a prank -- and theyīre more than happy to talk to the media. Needless to say, they donīt put the undergroundīs best foot forward. Likewise, those in law enforcement or in the employ of some computer security companies speak with the media on a regular basis. They are going to do nothing but villify the underground because itīs their job.
Instead of script kiddies, law enforcement officers and (some) computer security companies, the media should be speaking to the real underground -- the people who really know what theyīre doing and are, most of all, ethical. Unfortunately, most of the people who are in the know about the underground are extraodinarily camera shy. If a few hackers would come out of the woodwork and act as "spokesmen" for the underground, amazing things could happen.
The media may even start presenting a more impartial, less errata-strewn copy. Lately, members of OSAll have begun stepping forward to fill a void of sorts. OSAll canīt reform the media alone, however. Just as an example of what can happen though, the articles put out by journalists in touch with OSAll have been vastly superior and less errata-choked than those put out by journalists with no underground contacts at all. Likewise, some members of Attrition work hard to keep journalists informed and accurate.
The media is, perhaps unfortunately, the root of all public opinion. Hackers routinely gripe that the public doesnīt understand them. The problem is that they rely on the media to understand everything -- and not just hacking. Without good relations between the media and hackers, the public will continue to perceive hacking and hackers as the "dark side."
Every company and organisation in the country relies on some kind of public relations strategy or contact. The underground, by definition, is different -- the very name suggests lack of contact. That has to change, however, if the underground is to be perceived as anything other than bad.
Related Links on OSAll:
Media Discussion on BBSystem
Culture Books |
