Remember the good 'ol days when Nixon's Enemies List was a scary thing.
If only we were so lucky.

According to a request for proposals, the department is looking for a contractor who will monitor traditional news sources as well as social media and identify “any and all” coverage related to the agency or events that might fall under the department’s watchful eye.

“Services shall provide media comparison tools, design and rebranding tools, communication tools, and the ability to identify top media influencers,” the request says. Department agencies have “a critical need to incorporate these functions into their programs in order to better reach federal, state, local, tribal, and private partners.”

Essentially, the department would like a repository of information on every major reporter, blogger, influencer that includes monitoring individuals public activity. The tracking would apply to digital, print, broadcast, cable, and radio sources, and any journalist, editor, blogger, or correspondent the department believes is a “media influencer” could be included.

Hey JtC, you might already be on this list.

WTAF? @DHS accepting proposal to become to be the KGB. Must bids meet minimal Stasi or Saddam’s Hussein standards? Or is McCarthy Ok? https://t.co/ttGpKFeQyT

— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) April 7, 2018

Don't worry. It's all being done for your benefit.

Now, here's where it gets ugly. One of the other points that DHS wants to be able to search is the "sentiment" of a story. Was a writer's take on events pro-America or not? Did a columnist write an op-ed that looked on President Trump's latest policy trainwreck unfavorably?

Despite what some reporters may suggest, this is nothing more than the standard practice of monitoring current events in the media. Any suggestion otherwise is fit for tin foil hat wearing, black helicopter conspiracy theorists. https://t.co/XGgFFH3Ppl

— Tyler Q. Houlton (@SpoxDHS) April 6, 2018

I feel better now that the same guys who lied to Congress repeatedly about their domestic spying programs are telling us not to be scared about being put on a list.
Why? Because it's "standard practice" now.