WikiLeaks
WikiLeaks is a website with the purpose of making government documents easily available to the public. As stated on the website, the primary goal of WikiLeaks "is to bring important news and information to the public. We
provide an innovative, secure and anonymous way for sources to leak
information to our journalists." The site has no relation to the widely popular Wikipedia, the similarity in names is due to the "wiki" format of both sites, in which anyone can edit and post information on the site. This practice has since been abandoned by WikiLeaks, which now follows the format of a more traditional publishing website. The site publishes new stories along with the original documents on which those stories are based. The point of this is so that the reader can interpret the documents in their own way and does not have to rely on a journalist for second-hand information. Another goal of WikiLeaks is to revive the inquisitive nature of journalism. By publishing source material, the site raises tough questions about government actions. Whether or not this is good, or even legal, is still being debated today. WikiLeaks is also a place for people to securely and anonymously submit classified documents. While this can help to reveal corruption and wrong-doing in government, it could also lead to sensitive information being made available to the enemy, subsequently putting lives at risk. WikiLeaks holds that it has not released any documents that have put lives in danger. A large amount of controversy has occurred over the alleged release of military intelligence by Bradley Manning. He is accused of being the source of videos published on WikiLeaks that show U.S. troops killing unarmed Baghdad civilians, along with other classified documents. Manning faces military charges for passing along government videos and documents. He has gained recent media attention because of the poor conditions in which the military is holding him. Frontline, a PBS documentary television series, released a short video on the private life of Bradley Manning, a prequel to the full hour special on WikiLeaks to be released in May. Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks director, is also under investigation for the release of confidential U.S. military documents and may possibly be charged with violation of the Espionage Act of 1917. Prosecuting Assange will prove difficult, as he is not a U.S. citizen, and the government must carefully tip-toe around the First Amendment freedom of the press. Another problem brought up is that in order to prosecute Assange, the documents that he publicized must be proven to have had a harmful impact. In order to prove that, more confidential information must be made public. The prosecution of both Manning and Assange is still awaited.
Sources
Websites:
Websites:
- "About." WikiLeaks. The Sunshine Press. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. <http://wikileaks.ch/About.html>.
- McGreal, Chris. "US Private Bradley Manning Charged with Leaking Iraq Killings Video | World News | The Guardian." Latest News, Comment and Reviews from the Guardian | Guardian.co.uk. 6 July 2010. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/06/bradley-manning-charged-iraq-killings-video>.
- Nakashima, Ellen, and Jerry Markon. "WikiLeaks Founder Could Be Charged under Espionage Act." The Washington Post. 30 Nov. 2010. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/29/AR2010112905973.html?nav=emailpage>.
- "The Private Life of Bradley Manning." Frontline. PBS. Frontline. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1NP0aqnoP4>.
