...you seem to believe that there are no state secrets and that everything there is to know about a situation is laid bare before the public.  In your world our agents gather their information and turn around and share that with the media.  Have you ever read or seen something in the media about a subject which you're close to or have personal knowledge of?  How often do they get the gist of the story correct and how often do they paint a picture which gives a skewed view?  I see this happen when it comes to matters of air traffic control.  The emphasis is often put on a part of the story which deserves little to none and not enough focus if any is directed at the heart of the matter.  I'm left thinking, gosh if they can't get this right what else are they misleading me about?  The internet is a whole other pool of misinformation from both sides. 

I don't know what the answer is but I do know that a good dose of skepticism is a healthy antidote to much of the hype we're exposed to in the media because remember...hype sells and good news doesn't. 

Kevin g