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You may be surprised to learn that Americans are evenly split on what seems like a generally non-controversial topic. 47 percent of Americans think the media shouldn't report on the government's surveillance tactics, matching the 47 percent that think it should. If you wonder why, the answer is simple: Americans overwhelmingly approve of the elements of the surveillance state. Until, in at least one case, it's reported on.

The 47 percent figure comes from a Pew Research survey released on Tuesday. The topline data looks like this:

