Rabat – With the rise in organizations such as WikiLeaks and DCLeaks releasing emails that seem to originate from individuals surrounding Presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, former national security officials are warning the media to be cautious about the facts they disseminate to their audiences.
WikiLeaks has published a multitude of hacked emails from Clinton and her campaign manager, John Podesta. Whilst it has been reported that the correspondence is without scandals, neither Clinton nor Podesta have verified or denied the authenticity of the emails.
According to cyber security experts, these hacks were most likely conducted by Russia, with the US government formally accusing them for interfering with the election process.
Despite the breach of US information, some right-wing groups in the US have heralded the hacks. Roger Stone, one of presidential candidate Donald Trump’s closest allies, applauded Russian espionage. His ally Trump however, is unconvinced the hacks were carried out by Russia. US media were quick to believe the story, disseminating it via their networks.
A group of former national security officials and experts wrote a letter voicing their concerns over growing Russian interference in the Presidential elections.
The experts concluded the letter saying: “There is no amount of short-term partisan gain or perceived media scoop that could justify that outcome,” imploring “members of the media to stay engaged and to think critically about the facts they consume and disseminate.”
