What is WikiLeaks?

-Non-profit whistle-blowing website, run by a largely unknown group of people

-Anonymously submit information that is either classified, censored or otherwise restricted, which it then distributes to the public

-Challenges the mediation of the press like none have ever done before

-Julian Assange is its editor-in-chief and main spokesperson

Overview Video

 Historical Background

-WikiLeaks was founded in 2006 and then went through what most describe as three stages

-First Stage: Wiki model, Leaks: Corruption within the family of a Kenyan leader and the United States Army protocol for the Guantanamo Bay detention camp

-Second Stage: Started with the “Collateral Murder” video that carried a clear political opinion, Leaks:  documents on the war in Afghanistan and on the war in Iraq

Third Stage: 252 000 US diplomatic cables, most significant leak, forced WikiLeaks to partner with Le Monde, Der Spiegel and The Guardian to help with analyzing and redacting the material and with releasing the cables gradually

Main Issues

1- Credibility

2- Julian Assange

3- Values and protection of their sources

Brings up questions such as :

-What are limits on freedom of expression and press

-How should political media be communicated in the Internet age

-How far does the public's right to know extend

Positions on these issues

Those who are against WikiLeaks are not necessarily against its values, such as that of a transparent government and complete freedom of the press; they simply oppose the damage that these things might cause.

Those who are in favour of WikiLeaks claim that because most current journalism is a product of companies who have no journalistic mission, free press is very hard to obtain and WikiLeaks is one of the few news sources of this kind.

The future with or without WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks couples traditional investigative journalism with modern technology in a very efficient way. However, at its current pace, WikiLeaks will probably not last very long. Its real importance seems not to lie in its short history but rather in the phenomenon it has created. Many other organizations have emerged that provide leaks in the same manner, but following different values and WikiLeaks is just one of many examples of the Internet’s influence on reshaping journalism and communication.

The End