The Case for WikiLeaks’ Journalism

Since the arrest of Julian Assange on April 11, 2019, the conversation of both himself and WikiLeaks has once again gone viral all over the internet, alongside mixed reactions to the arrest and the organization at hand. The discussion surrounding the legitimacy of the journalism put forth by Assange and WikiLeaks had also, once again, been propelled into question. Is the discovering and publishing of war crimes and other top-secret state documents journalism or a violation of national law? Depending on where people stand in regards to Assange, the result can very much be one way or the other. However, the argument presented here will dive deep into how and why the publication of such classified government documents is indeed journalism and how it should be defended at all costs. Before delving into the reasoning behind this, it is essential to understand some of the information released by them in the first place.

Still image from the leaked video moments before the firing at innocent civilians (https://collateralmurder.wikileaks.org/)

In 2010, WikiLeaks unveiled many human rights atrocities surrounding the United States and their foreign policy around the world. In particular, the downplaying of civilian deaths, lying to the public, and the fueling of conflict in unstable regions are the most prevalent notions shown and demonstrated. Perhaps the most recalled leak is the 17-minute video shown from an attack helicopter in which two American soldiers shot at Iraqi civilians and two Iraqi Reuters…