There are two sure-fire ways to get yourself immediate mainstream media attention: Allude to terrorism, and do it on Twitter. Someone purporting to represent the dread Islamic State did both Monday, proving the U.S. military's public affairs business is a trainwreck but accomplishing little else.

Yesterday, the Washington Post published an op-ed by a former FBI official who argued, as the headline puts it, that "Apple and Google's new encryption rules will make law enforcement's job much harder." Today, it added an editor's note that suggested precisely the opposite.

As media evolves, many journalists are looking for new ways to improve efficiency. For instance, Ken Dilanian—current AP reporter and former L.A. Times writer—often lets his sources at the Central Intelligence Agency exercise editorial control over stories about them.