Wikileaks editor in chief Julian Assange coins himself "an investigative journalist" in the latest BBC interview from his bail address. Assange has essentially no journalism background prior to Wikileaks. A former hacker, he falls foul to US vice president Joe Biden's "hi-tech terrorist." A social minority class of nomadic, hi-tech freedom fighters has been breeding since the internet dawned. The class is scorned by the high public office types.
“Hell, I wouldn’t prosecute the Times. My view is to prosecute the Goddamn pricks that gave it to ‘em" as leaked from Nikon sums up the US government on Wikileaks as well.
The leaked documents spurn accompanying brief news reports on the Wikileaks site, however the bulk of analysis and journalism is left up to the print media. Its also looking likely on balance that the Afghanistan, Iraq and Diplomatic Cable releases all came from only one source-Bradley Manning, who is paying a heavy cost.
While Julian Assange merely waits on the other end of his anonymous "drop box" , the sources themselves deserve the bulk of credit due for the final publication appearing in world newspapers. Wikileaks dabbles in news writing, converting the Diplomatic Cables for example into a 300 or so word news story. The bulk of journalistic analysis and license is provided by The Guardian, New York Times, Al-Jazeera, begging the question of why Wikileaks is needed as a middle man: source-Wikileaks-newspaper has in the past been source-newspaper.
Also how do we exactly define Wikileaks? "Whistleblower", news, or "journalistic tool". are three quoted options. Before Wikileaks went live, media foresaw it as a useful aid to journalists.
Steven Aftergood, director of the Project of Government Secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists said at the time "I just think they're naive. They have a very idealistic view of the nature of leaking and its impact. They seem to think that most leakers are crusading do-gooders who are single-handedly battling one evil empire or another."
Assange's hacking history and expertise is likely to be used as background in a legal case against him, including his former illegal hacking activities which went to court. From 1987 Assange hacked under the name ‘Mendax’, part of a group called the ‘International Subversives’.
Wikileaks Undermined on the Web
The freedom of information activists including the Anonymous group of allegedly 1000 hackers, unwittingly undermine Wikileaks' journalistic credibility through their wreckless revenge attacks. In regard to this issue, Wikileaks have failed to outright publically criticise or encourage Anonymous' cyber attacks against companies forced to cut ties with them. Amazon, Paypal, Visa, Mastercard would have been put under considerable pressure to withdraw services to Wikileaks. Until Julian Assange publically condemns the cyber attacks on web companies, Wikileaks will gain an unwanted anarchic tag.
The reaction from the Obama Administration and republican party rank as "one of the biggest temper tantrums in recent years", (Ron Deibert, University of Toronto).
Wikileaks Boss Fits the Profile of Political Criminal
he US Department of State definition of political crime fits the bill of Wikileaks closer than "hi-tech terrorist". Political crime includes spying or selling secrets but without violence ( Larry J. Siegel, Criminology p 328.) The US State Department defines“terrorist activity” as "any activity that is unlawful under U.S. law or the laws of the place where it was committed ".
US politicians have deliberately manipulated political jargon to sway the US public against Wikileaks. "Terrorism" and "national security" (a common diplomatic phrase in the diplomatic leaked cables) appear side by side to associate Assange with a decade of extremism and terror, the political crime many people are most concerned about. Julian Assange also appears in the same sentence as the Al-Qaeda leader. Letters between the Legal Advisor to the Us State Department and Julian Assange are diplomatic in comparison.
The US has discussed bringing the Espionage Act against Julian Assange, however Assange would be protected under free speech unless US prosecutors could find a loophole.
The Wikileaks case is most similar to the Pentagon Papers leaked by Daniel Ellsberg on the Vietnam War.
Julian Assange's Celebrity Status
It would have been better for Julian Assange to remain low profile inside Wikileaks instead of being caught between raging forces and the media circus.
The forming of Assange's current elite personality began while being probed by media over the Swedish sex allegations and claims made by a former Wikileaks employer conditions of Assange's messianic ego.
Forays into the Swedish sex allegations continue to be compulsively pursued by the Guardian and the BBC.
Wikileaks has added insult to injury by foregrounding a photo of Assange in the website header. It appears with the slogan "Keep us strong" on Wikileaks' website.
Shaun Humphreys - Fate gives you 3 teachers, 3 friends, 3 enemies, and 3 great loves. These 12 are cloaked until you've loved them, lost them or fought ...
