The media was happy to jump in and frame the same arguments the government was making, vilifying whistle blowers and playing up the levels of terrorism in the world so the average viewer would continue to watch. Even today Edward Snowden is considered an enemy of the state by many, partially because of how the media portrayed and continues to portray him.

I don't remember the media particularly vilifying Snowden. Maybe it's because I don't follow a lot of MSM, but what I have seen actually portrays Snowden as a hero and the USG as a villain.

Also as @neilstrauss says, your concern seems to be the government.. but really we've by far seceded much more of our privacy to private corporations. Everyone's always pissed about government this and government that, while global corporations are doing everything they can to control everything.