\u201cTheir access and activities can be exploited by foreign intelligence services to conduct or facilitate espionage and foreign interference, as well as to provide cover for intelligence officers and their operations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn order to defend against espionage involving journalists, it is important to understand the threat, identify the risks and manage the risks,\u201d the four-page document advises Australian government agencies.<\/p>\n
It details how journalism \u201cprovides effective cover\u201d for foreign adversaries to seek \u201cprivileged insider insights\u201d into Australia\u2019s politics, foreign partnerships, public and private sector projects, science and technology, and economic and defence topics.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome work conducted by journalists can be difficult to distinguish from intelligence activity, increasing the challenge for security services in identifying foreign intelligence service activity,\u201d the assessment dated June 18 also notes.<\/p>\n
According to ASIO foreign spies use two primary methods to conduct operations: by placing intelligence officers in positions within media organisations or by recruiting or using genuine journalists to fulfill tasking on behalf of the overseas intelligence service.<\/p>\n
Pointedly, the ASIO Intelligence Assessment also notes that \u201cForeign intelligence services can exploit state media to embed officers under journalistic cover in Australia and internationally.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cState-affiliated media organisations are uniquely effective for this purpose, as they can be directly compelled by their home governments to facilitate intelligence objectives,\u201d the assessment warns.<\/p>\n
\u201cEstablished journalists are seen by foreign intelligence services as valuable recruitments \u2013 they often have subject matter expertise, extensive networks that include government, private industry and media, as well as access to information and places of intelligence value.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRecruited journalists\u2019 accesses can be exploited to conduct or facilitate intelligence activity that includes access to otherwise inaccessible locations, actively collecting or using their media organisation\u2019s database to gather information on targets, and assist in the cultivation of targets, including other journalists.\u201d<\/p>\n
Commonwealth agencies and officials are also advised by ASIO that \u201cunapproved or unauthorised contact with journalists and the media carries risks for the security of government information.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noting that media content \u201cinforms the public about current events and ultimately influences readers\u201d, ASIO warns that foreign spies also target and use journalists to \u201cinfluence narratives on issues that matter to them \u2013 this constitutes foreign interference\u201d.<\/p>\n
It advises that all \u201cengagement with journalists\u201d must be officially authorised in strict accordance with Australian Government, departmental or agency-specific policies.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven where contact is authorised, determining whether a journalist or media organisation is legitimate, versus working for a foreign intelligence service, adds an additional layer of risk and complexity.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Mike](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/9469e47e374e3e57173836bf2f571e9457eb5aca.jpg\")
Mike Burgess has warned that journalists, military veterans and judicial figures were all being targeted by foreign espionage agencies at \u201cunprecedented\u201d levels. Credit: Dan Himbrechts\/AAPIMAGE<\/p>\n
ASIO reveals that it has for decades \u201cidentified and disrupted\u201d foreign intelligence services posing as journalists and using journalists to target and cultivate Australians, but the document does not specify which nations are involved in the activity.<\/p>\n
It does however cite an example of an incident overseas where a journalist working for a Chinese Communist Party linked newspaper was reportedly charged in the Czech Republic with \u2018unauthorised activity on behalf of a foreign power\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs part of this cover, Yang (Yiming) conducted interviews with Czech politicians and businessmen. One Czech Government official stated they shared only their personal opinions and did not provide any information to Yang.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough the official stated they did not provide any information to Yang, their personal opinions can contain privileged and sensitive content of potential significant intelligence value to a foreign intelligence service\u201d.<\/p>\n
ASIO\u2019s latest assessment follows a joint statement issued by Five Eyes partners earlier this month, warning that Chinese spies were offering lucrative payments to government and military personnel as they attempt to steal sensitive secrets from the US and its allies.<\/p>\n
\u201cChina\u2019s military intelligence services ultimately seek to acquire privileged military, political and economic intelligence that can provide China with a strategic and tactical advantage over the Five Eyes,\u201d the bulletin published in early June warned.<\/p>\n
\u201cPersons with either indirect or peripheral access to government information, e.g. academics, journalists, freelance writers, think tank employees, or anyone with links to defence, security, policy and economic sectors.\u201d<\/p>\n
ASIO Director General Mike Burgess has also previously warned that journalists, military veterans and judicial figures were all being targeted by foreign espionage agencies at \u201cunprecedented\u201d levels.<\/p>\n
During his annual threat assessment in 2023, Mr Burgess revealed security agencies had detected \u201crepeated attempts to hack into scores of Australian media outlets \u2013 so many, it appears to be a concerted campaign\u201d.<\/p>\n
He detailed how in one disrupted plot a \u201clackey\u201d was recruited to lure \u201csenior journalists\u201d on all-expenses-paid \u201cstudy tours\u201d of a foreign country to obtain privileged information.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce in-country, the lackey was expected to introduce the journalists to \u2018local officials\u2019 who were really spies in disguise,\u201d Mr Burgess revealed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe spies would use these opportunities to ingratiate themselves with the reporters, try to elicit insights on political, economic, defence and other issues, and identify any vulnerabilities that could be leveraged later.\u201d<\/p>\n
This week Mr Burgess is expected to deliver ASIO\u2019s latest annual threat assessment which has been delayed by several months following the terrorist attack at Bondi beach in December which claimed 15 innocent lives.<\/p>\n
The Nightly has asked ASIO which foreign states are suspected of targeting Australian journalists, but in line with long-standing practice the organisation has declined to comment.<\/p>\n
\u201cASIO regularly engages with parliament, industry, academia, and other partners to build awareness of threats and provide protective security advice,\u201d a spokesperson said.\u201cConsistent with long-standing practice, ASIO does not comment on individuals, intelligence or operational matters,\u201d the spokesperson added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A confidential ASIO report warns international spies are posing as journalists and targeting members of the media here…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":755144,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-755143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/755143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=755143"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/755143\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/755144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=755143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=755143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=755143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}