Re: Aww, the press shedding crocodile tears...
Yes, because "the Press" is a monolithic agency and past misbehaviour by any self-styled journalist anywhere justifies retaliation against all journalists everywhere.
AP's argument in this case is about the damage to their reputation. Not "the press as a whole", but "AP as a specific agency".
Let's take out the email/press angle, and think about a more, let's say traditional, type of operation. Suppose the Feds had dressed their agent up in overalls and sent him round to the house as a representative of "Joe's Plumbing", to investigate reports of a gas leak, and incidentally plant an old-fashioned bug while he was there.
Would we consider that "fair play" by the FBI, assuming they got a warrant first? I would.
But what if there is a real local company called "Joe's Plumbing" that does precisely that kind of work, and the agent had deliberately faked their logo, their stencilled van, their business cards, all without mentioning it to the real company? Don't you think that company would have cause for complaint?
I think the least the FBI owes the AP in this case is an apology, and probably a mutually agreed system for clearing/approving future operations of this sort in advance.