WikiLeaks & the Public’s Right to Know

Professor Eric FreedmanOctober 17, 2012

Vytautas Magnus University

Media Power & the Powerful

• Power of the media in a variety of countries and political systems.

• Conflicts between those with political & economic power on one side and those with less power or no power on the other side.

• Impacts of changing communication technologies• Role of the press in bringing events to light, helping

set the public agenda for discussion & action by citizens & policymakers.

• Newsmakers, news gatherers & news consumers.

Issues to Consider

• How do journalists in different countries deal with classified or secret material they’re given?

• How do journalists & news organizations deal with the public perception that they’re testifying for the credibility of their sources?

• How do journalists handle conflicted feelings of loyalty to country and loyalty to the truth?

Julian Assange

Julian Assange’s Justification

• www.ted.com/talks/julian_assange_why_the_world_needs_wikileaks.html

Revolution Truth: In Defense of WikiLeaks & Assange

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd0Z4G8V1uo

Collateral Murder on YouTube via WikiLeaks

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rXPrfnU3G0

ALLEGED DETAINEE ABUSE BY IRAQI POLICE IN RAMADI ON 17 AUG 2006SUSPECTED DETAINEE ABUSE RPTD AT 171100D AUG 06

1. DESCRIPTION OF INCIDENT/SUSPECTED VIOLATION (WHO REPORTED INCIDENT AND WHAT HAPPENED):

SGT –––––, 300TH MILITARY POLICE COMPANY, REPORTED IRAQI POLICE COMMITTING DETAINEE ABUSE AT AN IRAQI POLICE STATION IN RAMADI. SGT ––––– WITNESSED 1LT –––– WHIP A DETAINEE ACROSS HIS BACK WITH A PR-24 STRAIGHT SIDE HANDLED BATON AND 1LT –––– KICKING A SECOND DETAINEE. THAT NIGHT SGT ––––– HEARD WHIPPING NOISES WALKING THROUGH THE HALLWAY, AND OPENED A DOOR TO FIND 1LT –––– WITH A 4 GAUGE ELECTRICAL CABLE, WHIPPING THE BOTTOM OF A DETAINEE*S FEET. LATER THAT NIGHT, SGT ––––– CAUGHT 1LT –––– WHIPPING A DETAINEE ACROSS HIS BACK WITH AN ELECTRICAL CABLE. SGT ––––– DOCUMENTED EACH EVENT ON A SWORN STATEMENT FORM AND REPORTED THE INCIDENTS.

Lithuania in WIkiLeaks

• “President Dalia Grybauskaite intervened to prevent the transfer of inmates to Guantanamo” • “NATO has developed a contingency plan for the Baltic states”

State 2010-01-26 20:29:00Source Secretary of StateClassification SECRETS E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 007810SIPDISE.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2020 TAGS: MARR, MCAP, NATO, PREL, EN, LG, LH, PL SUBJECT: EXPANSION OF EAGLE GUARDIAN TO INCLUDE BALTIC ALLIESREF: A. USNATO 35 B. 09 STATE 127892Classified By: EUR PDAS Nancy McEldowney for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)1. (U) This is an action cable. Please see paragraphs 3-4.2. (S) Summary and Action Request. On January 22 NATO Allies agreed in the Military Committee to expand the NATO Contingency Plan for Poland, EAGLE GUARDIAN, to include the defense and reinforcement of the Baltic States. Posts in Allied capitals should be prepared to explain, as necessary, U.S. support for this approach and how it fits within our broader vision for NATO contingency planning, as well as how to respond to media inquiries on the matter. Posts are asked to draw on the points below, as necessary, in discussions on this issue. End Summary and Action Request.3. (C) Posts need not engage host government officials proactively on NATO contingency planning at this time, but are encouraged to use the points below as the basis for discussions on the matter as needed.

President Dalia Grybauskaite & U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Vitas Tomkus Takes on 15min

CO N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 VILNIUS 000648SIPDISSIPDISE.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2017 TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, ECON, KCOR, LH, HT1 SUBJECT: LITHUANIAS CORRUPT MEDIA HURTS EVERYONE, INCLUDING U.S. BUSINESSESClassified By: CDA Damian Leader for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).1. (C) SUMMARY. Some media outlets in Lithuania, newspapers especially, extort politicians and businessmen using rewards of positive coverage and the threat of negative coverage. Media corruption damages media credibility, undermines Lithuania’s democratic institutions, and intimidates politicians, businesses, and civil society. It also hurts U.S. businesses, who are less apt to "play the game" than their local counterparts. End summary.Context: Picture is bleak, regulation weak

White House Response to Leaks

• http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/the-war-logs/#t15h09m

President Obama’s Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, July 26, 2010

Newspaper Editorial Cartoons

Private Bradley Manning

Highlighting Contradictory Positions on Issues: Climate Change

www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1eL3_Q4aVY 

“Cuba will translate and publish more than 2,000 US diplomatic WikiLeaks cables that pertain to the Communist-ruled island in a bid to highlight US ‘imperialist’

policy.”

Scenes from the Arab Spring

Could WikiLeaks disclosures result in less Internet freedom?

• www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/news/2010/12/101206_wikileaks_wt_sl.shtml

Alternative Leak Dumpsites

• http://cryptome.org• www.wsjsafehouse.com• http://thaileaks.wordpress.com• http://globaleaks.org• http://brusselsleaks.wordpress.com