A prominent business journalist suggested Monday that The Guardian’s Glenn Greenwald should be arrested for reporting on leaks detailing top secret surveillance programs run by the National Security Agency.
Andrew Ross Sorkin, a financial columnist for the New York Times and a commentator for CNBC, said on-air that he’d “almost arrest” Greenwald along with NSA leaker Edward Snowden, who fled Hong Kong for Russia on Sunday in the hopes of ultimately receiving asylum in Ecuador.
“I would arrest [Snowden] and now I’d almost arrest Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who seems to be out there, he wants to help him get to Ecuador or whatever,” Sorkin said.
After Twitter users flagged Sorkin’s comments to Greenwald, a heated exchange between the two ensued:
@RobDouglas3 @andrewrsorkin Where did he say that?
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 24, 2013
@andrewrsorkin @RobDouglas3 Did you advocate my arrest?
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 24, 2013
.@andrewrsorkin Maybe worth discussing the dark irony that someone who works for the NYT (you) is suggesting that journalists be arrested
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 24, 2013
Greenwald followed up with two more pointed shots at Sorkin:
It’s awful how Snowden is traveling through countries with no freedom! Now: back to our debate: should US journalists be arrested? #Sorkin
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 24, 2013
Strange: 1) being accused by Wall St cheerleader @andrewrsorkin of “advocacy journalism”; 2) NYT reporter suggesting arrest of journalists
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 24, 2013
It was the second time in as many days that Greenwald pushed back against a journalist over such a suggestion, having ripped “Meet The Press” host David Gregory on Sunday.
