Whistleblowers and the economy of esteem

I don't give a whit about the man who exposed two sweeping U.S. online surveillance programs, nor do I worry much about his verdict in the court of public opinion.

Why? Because it is the wrong question. The Snowden narrative matters mostly to White House officials trying to deflect attention from government overreach and deception, and to media executives in search of an easy storyline to serve a celebrity-obsessed audience.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2013/06/edward-snowden?fsrc=nlw|newe|6-17-2013|5918266|132259472|AP