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WikiLeaks Took Advice From Media Outlets
formfeed writes "According to the AP (through Google News), WikiLeaks isn't just sitting on the recent material so they can release it bit by bit to the press, as many people implied. On the contrary, it's quite the other way around: 'only after considering advice from five news organizations with which it chose to share all of the material' are they releasing it themselves. These newspapers 'have been advising WikiLeaks on which documents to release publicly and what redactions to make to those documents.' AP questions whether WikiLeaks will follow these redactions, but nevertheless seems quite impressed by this 'extraordinary collaboration between some of the world's most respected media outlets and the WikiLeaks organization.'"
I wonder if some of the anti-WikiLeaks fervor evident among US lawmakers will also be brought to bear against the AP and other mainstream media sources. Update: 12/05 17:42 GMT by T : Yes, that's WikiLeaks, rather than (as originally rendered) WikiPedia. HT to reader Mike Hearn.
The timothy editor added to the summary, "some of the anti-Wikipedia fervor evident among US lawmakers". I believe that should be "anti-WikiLeaks fervor".
If aspiration is a virtue, achievement cannot be a vice.
What exactly is Wikileaks doing that all these other media organizations aren't also doing?
No one gave Wikileaks a security clearance; they are incapable of leaking anything. They are merely publishing information that was leaked by someone else. So how are all these attacks on Wikileaks' right to publish justified vs. those of the NY Times or the Associated Press?
Hold on, this story is news because WikiLeaks requested the U.S. government help them do exactly what they are now accused of retaining media outlets help them to do.
The U.S. government declined to assist. This is major news. Access to outside parties will continue to increase so long as the U.S. refuses to own this situation and assist in the preparation of these documents for dissemination.
I wonder if some of the anti-Wikipedia fervor evident among US lawmakers will also be brought to bear against the AP and other mainstream media sources.
Why should they? AP is reporting that Wikileaks collaborated with five media outlets, but Associated Press is not one of those five outlets.
They are:
El Pais
Le monde
The Guardian
Der Spiegel
The New York Times
Press coverage today is more favorable to Wikileaks.
There's even talk that Assange might be Time's "Man of the Year".
Also, there are now 74 mirrors of Wikileaks.
I wonder if some of the anti-Wikipedia fervor evident among US lawmakers will also be brought to bear against the AP and other mainstream media sources.
Please lets not conflate Wikipedia and Wikileaks. That is not good for anyone.
Once again the US Congress is grandstanding, pounding their chests, and proposing another redundant law. We already have several laws that make the disclosure of US Defense information illegal. For non-govt employees Sections 793, 794, 798, Title 18, United States Code apply.
http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/uscode/18/I/37/798 [findlaw.com]
http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/uscode/18/I/37/794 [findlaw.com]
http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/uscode/18/I/37/793 [findlaw.com]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_Identities_Protection_Act
These are others that apply if you work for or contract to the government, including the provisions of Sections 641, 793, 794, 798, 952 and 1924, Title 18, United States Code, and the provisions of Section 783(b), Title 50, United States Code, and the provisions of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982.
It's too late, unfortunately. I was eating at some local old-folks' restaurant and the three old ladies next to my table were talking about that "dreadful wikipedia" blah blah anti-American wharrgarble. People are so fucking stupid and ignorant in the middle of the USA. I wanted to stab them in their wrinkled faces with my steak knife (seriously).
I agree that supporting Wikileaks in any capacity right now is one of the more dangerous things we can do. I have made small donations, so I'm probably under the Witch Hunt radar for now, but I really wonder how surprised I would be to have Feds knocking on my door over the holidays. The US government has acted more like North Korea than I ever would have expected and I think it has taken many by surprise. This just means that the US government will do some serious damage before the people en masse get a clue and try to stop it.
The one thing that I hope comes from all of this damage is that the US government and military stop abusing their ability to classify information.
When the US government acted like this to black people, or communists, or white supremacists, or muslims, nobody paid any attention because it wasn't happening to them.
Now you see how ruthless the government is because their attention is directed toward you. The way to deal with government is to always stay on their good side.
The less attention they have on you generally the better off you are. When you associate with certain networks of people they don't like, even if you just donate a dollar, you'll be put on the radar and it's impossible to get off once you get put on it.
Depending on how smart you are, what your capabilities are, and how close you are to who they want, they'll use unlimited resources to threaten you to make you an informant. If you disagree and refuse to inform on your brother, they'll charge you with some crime like possession of child pornography, possession of drugs, a sex crime, they'll find something to convict you with just to have something to put you under their total control.
Once you are behind bars they'll have their informants leak out how you are a snitch, informant, child molesting pedophile, and leave you to fend for yourself against prison Nazi's and street thugs who hate your kind. You think I'm lying? Look at this
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/04/AR2010120403710.html