THE CHANGING STRUCTURE OF LEAK-BASED INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM IN THE CONTEXT OF DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE AND PRIVACY: A REVIEW OF THE DOCUMENTARY FILM CITIZENFOUR

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Sinav A.

TURKISH ONLINE JOURNAL OF DESIGN, ART AND COMMUNICATION (TOJDAC), cilt.16, sa.3, ss.1713-1730, 2026 (TRDizin)

Özet

This study aims to evaluate the evolving structure of leak-based investigative journalism within the framework of the digital surveillance and privacy issue, using the documentary film Citizenfour (2014), directed by Laura Poitras, as a context. A qualitative research approach was adopted in the study, and the film text was analyzed using thematic film analysis. During the analysis process, the scenes and discourses in the film were examined within four thematic categories: the representation of digital surveillance practices, the positioning of Snowden as a whistleblower, privacy debates, and the role of investigative journalism. The research findings indicate that the Citizenfour documentary is a significant media text that makes the functioning of global digital surveillance systems visible. The documents revealed by Snowden in the film demonstrate that government agencies engage not only in targeted surveillance but also in large-scale data collection activities. The film highlights that leak-based investigative journalism plays a critical role in conveying this information to the public. In this context, journalists are portrayed as key actors who bring to light the tension between state surveillance and the public interest. Consequently, it is noted that the documentary presents a narrative that highlights the social and political impacts of digital surveillance systems, and that investigative journalism plays a vital role as a mechanism for public oversight in democratic societies.