What tools can the German press safely use, and what sources can Feinstein consider reliable?

The Deutscher Journalisten-verband (DJV), the union of German journalists, has released the following statement, which I am reproducing in the original German as released:

Konsequenzen ziehen

Der Deutsche Journalisten-Verband rät Journalisten dazu, bei Recherchen und digitaler Kommunikation auf die Suchmaschinen und E-Mail-Dienste von Google und Yahoo bis auf weiteres zu verzichten.

Hintergrund sind aktuelle Berichte über die mutmaßliche Ausspähung der beiden Anbieter durch die Geheimdienste NSA und GCHQ. „Die Recherchen von Journalistinnen und Journalisten sind genauso vertraulich wie die Kontaktdaten der Informanten und die Inhalte der Kommunikation mit ihnen“, sagte DJV-Bundesvorsitzender Michael Konken. Es sei skandalös, dass die Geheimdienste in ihrem Überwachungswahn offenbar keine Grenzen kennen. Appelle an die Regierungen, den Informantenschutz und die Freiheit der Berichterstattung zu garantieren, blieben offenbar wirkungslos. Wo es möglich sei, müssten Journalisten die Konsequenzen ziehen und ihre Arbeitsweise verändern.

„Es gibt durchaus andere Suchmaschinen und Anbieter von E-Mail-Diensten, die nach bisherigem Kenntnisstand als sicher gelten“, sagte Konken. Bei vergleichbarem Leistungsspektrum dieser Dienstleister sollten Journalisten wechseln, mindestens aber Verschlüsselungstechniken anwenden.

Die massenhafte Überwachung durch Geheimdienste und der Schutz der Pressefreiheit sind Themen, mit denen sich auch der DJV-Verbandstag 2013 vom 4. bis 6. November in Hannover beschäftigen wird.

Referat Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit:
Hendrik Zörner
Bei Rückfragen: Tel. 030/72 62 79 20, Fax 030/726 27 92 13

Reuters explains what it all means:

The union representing German journalists advised its members on Thursday to stop using Google and Yahoo because of reported snooping by U.S. and British intelligence....

"The searches made by journalists are just as confidential as the contact details of their sources and the contents of their communication with them," said Michael Konken, head of the union which represents about 38,000 journalists.

More here. Konken notes that there are other search engines or email providers that may be used, but did not specifically endorse any one or the other. (With reason; the NSA may have hacked those also.)

Oh, and as long as I'm talking about NSA activities, I might as well address a little tidbit regarding Dianne Feinstein's current outrage.

For those who missed it, Senator Feinstein issued a statement on October 28 about U.S. intelligence monitoring of foreign leaders. The statement read (in part):

Unlike NSA’s collection of phone records under a court order, it is clear to me that certain surveillance activities have been in effect for more than a decade and that the Senate Intelligence Committee was not satisfactorily informed. Therefore our oversight needs to be strengthened and increased.

So, how did Feinstein learn about these U.S. government abuses? Hint: she's talked about the source before, back in June.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Monday said the 29-year-old man who leaked information about two national security programs is guilty of treason.

Feinstein said that she doesn’t see National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden as a hero or a whistle blower.

“I don't look at this as being a whistleblower. I think it's an act of treason,” the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee told reporters.
The California lawmaker went on to say that Snowden had violated his oath to defend the Constitution.

“He violated the oath, he violated the law. It's treason.”

But now that Snowden has revealed rogue intelligence actions that even Feinstein didn't know about, has she changed her previous assessment of Snowden?

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) lashed out at the National Security Agency on Monday after learning it spied on foreign leaders, but she still thinks NSA leaker Edward Snowden is a traitor.

“I’ve said what I’ve said. I stand by it,” Feinstein told The Hill Tuesday when asked about her past comments on Snowden.

Well, if he's a traitor, then you can't trust what he said. So why is Feinstein claiming that the NSA didn't provide her committee with sufficient information?