Don’t fear journalists! Talk to me! Hacks, exploits & best practices for improving researcher-reporter ties

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Presented at VB2025 Berlin by

Omer Benjakob

As a cyber reporter at Haaretz, I’ve spent years navigating the gap between researchers uncovering complex threats, offensive cyber firms exploiting them, and a public that understands almost nothing about either. Too often, exchanges between cyber reporters and cyber security researchers are filtered through PR pipelines or amplifying blog posts – channels designed for corporate issues, not flagging emerging risks, explaining why they matter and helping to improve cyber literacy among the general public. From spyware to disinformation, today’s threats intersect with national security, democratic governance, and daily life. Researchers are on the front lines of a riveting and fateful world usually hidden behind professional jargon and siloed-off in industry-specific publications. Meanwhile, a growing body of tech reporters are trying to go beyond classic cybersecurity coverage – but without direct collaboration, critical insights are lost, larger societal threats are ignored, and the public remains in the dark.