Wikileaks!

Wiki leaks is an ‘’international non-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private , secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks and whistleblowers’’  (Lorenz, R, 2011, p.4)

This website was founded in 2006; by Julian Assange the creator, public face and director. Wikileaks  has published hundreds of thousands of documents based on the wars in Afghanistan , Iran and US which has caused controversy headlines. He believes that transparency is for the good of all people by exploiting free exchange of information to the world. This particular man was born in 1971 in the city of Townsville in North-Eastern Australia. He believes that ‘’exposing government secrets leads too greater freedom’’. (Liquid News Room, 2010)

However there’s more than meets the eye; Assange is more than a controversial figure and is known as ‘’the Robin Hood of Hacking’’. (Harrell, E, 2010,)  Being a mysterious figure this man has been involved with exposing confidential and secret documents . Assange began his career as a talented hacker at the age of 16.  In 1991 , at the age of 20 he hacked into a Canadian telecom company and was caught and pleaded guilty for 25 charges.

But despite his troubled past, this man wanted to ‘’let the truth be available to all’’. (Leigh Bureau Ltd, 2010-11) He believes that ‘the citizenry have a right to scrutinize the state…especially a state, hiding behind cloaks of security and opaqueness’’ (Leigh Bureau Ltd, 2010-11) Wikileaks has introduced a whole new model in the world of journalism where the site contains information by anonymous sources. He is definitely an activist since he believes that ‘information should be free and accessible to all , and ‘’must be free to publish.  (Leigh Bureau Ltd, 2010-11)

The Wikileaks mission statement is to improve transparency and to create  a better society for all people.  Henry Jenkins states that his theory of participatory culture is about having ‘’strong support for sharing creations with others, believing that contributions matter, caring about others’ opinions of self & work. We Must all believe that they are free to contribute when ready and that what they will contribute will be appropriately valued’’.  (Costa, C, 2012)

Social media plays a vital role in disseminating information…, let’s face it where would we be without it?  Today with governments in power in much of the world, and the increase of authority in democratic governments , Wiki leaks enables to ‘’empower citizens to bring feared and corrupt governments and corporations to justice’’ (Wikileaks, 2006).  Using digital technology allows individuals to ‘’connect with one another, to achieve common goals or interests, allowing anybody with access to the internet to share, publish and broadcast information’’. (Arpit , B, 2012 p.49) The future for Wikileaks is how each individual makes it to be. Conspiracies, secrets, instances, abuses  and other occurrences fall under the hands of people. Wiki leaks has opened the door for people to demand to get the word out there.

In my opinion everything we do in life, everything we fight for,  aspire,  whether it is in relation to wars, corruption in governments, economic balance, pollution, accidents, poverty etc, all require attention. Without the truth about how people are suffering, or why there’s so much destruction in the world how are we mean’t to act upon and make a change in the world without knowing important information. Isn’t it better if we all know what’s going on? So I say go Assange and Wikileaks for making it possible! Wikileaks states that ‘’the worlds media should work together as much as possible to bring stories to a broad international readership’’. (Wikileaks, 2006)

References:

1 ) Lorenz, R, 2011, The Cablegate Shock- Does Wikileaks Upset The ‘’Special Relationship’’ Narrative of Transatlantic Relations?, Grin Publish & Find Knowledge, Germany.

2) Liquid News Room, 2010,’ Is Julian Assange "The Robin Hood of Hacking"? A debate on TV’, Real Time Web News, viewed on 15^th January 2013 < http://www.nextlevelofnews.com/2010/12/glenn-greenwald-vs-fran-townsend-wikileaks-debate.html>

3) Harrell, E, 2010, Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange, Time World,  viewed on 15^th January 2013 http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2006496,00.html

4) Leigh Bureau Ltd, 2010-11,  Julian Assange, Leigh Bureau Ltd, viewed on 17^th January 2013 http://www.leighbureau.eu/speakers/jassange/jassange_ltd.html

5) Zone Alarm, 2011, What is Hacktivm, Zone Alarm, viewed on 17^th January 2013, http://www.zonealarm.com/blog/index.php/2011/08/what-is-hacktivism

6) Costa, C, 2012, Do New Media Make Our Culture More Participatory, EJC-Online Journalism Community, viewed 17^th of January 2013, http://community.ejc.net/profiles/blogs/do-new-media-make-our-culture-more-participatory/

7) Wikileaks, 2006,  About-What is Wikileaks?, Wikileaks, viewed on 17^th January 2013, http://wikileaks.org/About.html

8) Arpit , B, 2012,  ‘Review Paper, E-Government and Social Media as Openess and Anti-Corruption Strategy’, Vol 1 (1), pp. 48-52, Research Journal of Management Services, India.