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Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. | AP Photo/Andrew Harnik The New York Times: U.S. media became 'de facto instrument of Russian intelligence'

On Monday, The New York Times published a tick-tock showing how hackers with ties to the Russian government attempted to influence the U.S. election.

The article explicitly stated that the Times and other American media organizations unwittingly aided Russian hackers by reporting on the contents of private emails from the DNC and Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.

The Times wrote:

"Every major publication, including The Times, published multiple stories citing the D.N.C. and Podesta emails posted by WikiLeaks, becoming a de facto instrument of Russian intelligence.

Mr. Putin, a student of martial arts, had turned two institutions at the core of American democracy — political campaigns and independent media — to his own ends. The media’s appetite for the hacked material, and its focus on the gossipy content instead of the Russian source, disturbed some of those whose personal emails were being reposted across the web.

'What was really surprising to me?”'[Neera Tanden, the president of the Center for American Progress] said. 'I could not believe that reporters were covering it.'"