The word hacker needs to be adopted in broader context. Hacking is essentially a creative process and not always a malicious activity. I would suggest software developers and makers to change their titles to 'hackers' of various types.
As someone who reads Hacker News, I understand what you mean by "hacking is essentially a creative process," but wouldn't it be easier to describe it as something like creative security research instead of hacking? "Hackers" will still understand what you mean, and maybe it would be less intimidating to others. Curious to hear other thoughts.
>> Ron Deibert has led a team of counterespionage hackers—he prefers “researchers”—...
It's explicitly stated that his preferred term is "researchers", and yet the Globe and Mail appears to go out of their way to sensationalize by first introducing the word "hackers". Upon reading the full article, the use of the term "hacker(s)" is minimal, and used appropriately for what we self-identifying hackers would use it for.
I've become so accustomed to the word being used negatively that it takes a lot of mental effort to notice when it is used in a neutral or positive tone. I still find it fairly annoying that they included the word in the headline, as though to attract more views with a "controversial buzzword". It's true: the word "hacker" has long since been poisoned by the media. They cannot get away with using the term anymore, even with no ill intent. They spent over a decade using the term to rip people and communities apart. The damage is done, and no amount of effort on their part is going to allow them to sound sincere.
[1] Obviously recent news have made this term more negative, but years past, there was nothing wrong with 'intelligence' (at least in my circles)