Wikileaks on trial
How far can investigative journalism go? In publishing secret US cables Wikileaks has sparked a debate on the freedom of opinion and the right to information.
Postimees - Estonia | Tuesday, 21. August 2012
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange acts like he is the victim of a conspiracy, fighting a lonely battle against the high and mighty of the world, columnist Ahto Lobjakas writes in the conservative daily Postimees: » more
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange acts like he is the victim of a conspiracy, fighting a lonely battle against the high and mighty of the world, columnist Ahto Lobjakas writes in the conservative daily Postimees: "Assange has taken on the world's most powerful forces, and now he feels like the victim of a global conspiracy. The Australian puts himself on a par with Pussy Riot and Bradley Manning, who is said to have furnished Wikileaks with its most explosive material. ... The division of the world into oppressors and the oppressed exists only in Assange's mind. For him Wikileaks has become the instrument of his private one-man crusade. ... The founder of the whistle-blowing platform is no hero. That's the sort of myth that does not last long in today's world, one which takes advantage of the gullibility of those who don't understand that the age of global constructions (be it conspiracies or ideologies) is over. Wikileaks has never offered global solutions for the problems of our time."
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The Guardian - United Kingdom | Wednesday, 22. August 2012
Extraditing Julian Assange to the US would be exposing him to serious danger, so Ecuador's decision to grant the Wikileaks founder asylum in its London embassy is well founded, the left-liberal daily The Guardian writes: » more
Extraditing Julian Assange to the US would be exposing him to serious danger, so Ecuador's decision to grant the Wikileaks founder asylum in its London embassy is well founded, the left-liberal daily The Guardian writes: "Why, Assange's critics charge, would he be more likely to be extradited to the US from Sweden than from Britain, Washington's patsy, notorious for its one-sided extradition arrangements. There are specific risks in Sweden - for example, its fast-track 'temporary surrender' extradition agreement it has with the US. But the real point is that Assange is in danger of extradition in both countries - which is why Ecuador was right to offer him protection. ... If the Swedish government pledged to block the extradition of Assange to the US for any WikiLeaks-related offence (which it has the power to do) - and Britain agreed not to sanction extradition to a third country once Swedish proceedings are over - then justice could be served. But with loyalty to the US on the line, Assange shouldn't expect to leave the embassy any time soon."
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Trouw - Netherlands | Monday, 20. August 2012
The diplomatic conflict over the extradition of Julian Assange is escalating. The Wikilieaks founder complained on Sunday in London that he was the victim of a "witch-hunt" orchestrated by the US government. But he is still no political refugee, the Christian-social daily Trouw comments: » more
The diplomatic conflict over the extradition of Julian Assange is escalating. The Wikilieaks founder complained on Sunday in London that he was the victim of a "witch-hunt" orchestrated by the US government. But he is still no political refugee, the Christian-social daily Trouw comments: "It's understandable that Assange is afraid of being put on trial in the US. The US won't hesitate to use every legal instrument at its disposition to put him behind bars. But the country is a state based on the rule of law. And if Assange does face the death penalty there his extradition can be denied if the US applies for it. This rule applies both for Sweden, to where Assange is to be extradited, as well as for the UK where he is now. Assange is hated but also celebrated as a hero of transparency and journalism. Now, not everything that Wikileaks does can be journalistically justified, but the website nonetheless enjoys widespread support. And that support is good, but it shouldn't be given to someone who is trying to evade a criminal investigation on charges of rape."
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Dagens Nyheter - Sweden | Friday, 17. August 2012
Ecuador has granted asylum to wanted Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, justifying its decision with fears that after extradition to Sweden Assage would be handed over to the US, where he would not be given a fair trial. This should also give the Swedish authorities and politicians pause for thought, writes the liberal daily Dagens Nyheter: » more
Ecuador has granted asylum to wanted Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, justifying its decision with fears that after extradition to Sweden Assage would be handed over to the US, where he would not be given a fair trial. This should also give the Swedish authorities and politicians pause for thought, writes the liberal daily Dagens Nyheter: "For almost two years it has been impossible to complete the investigations because Assange has remained beyond the reach of the Swedish judicial system. This means that the rights of two women [who accuse him of sexual assault] are still being suspended. The granting of asylum should also prompt the Swedish authorities and government representatives to a self-critical examination. The at times very poor image that has been conveyed of Sweden's legal system is totally unfounded. Sweden is a constitutional state and the investigations against Assange are based on its principles, as would be the case in the event of a trial. But Swedish politicians have sometimes expressed themselves so carelessly that it has benefited those who claim that our courts are not independent."
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NRC Handelsblad - Netherlands | Friday, 17. August 2012
The UK has not ruled out the option of arresting Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy. London has the right to do this, writes the liberal daily NRC Handelsblad, but calls for a diplomatic solution to the conflict: » more
The UK has not ruled out the option of arresting Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy. London has the right to do this, writes the liberal daily NRC Handelsblad, but calls for a diplomatic solution to the conflict: "There is a widespread misconception that embassies have extraterritorial status. But a cautious approach is vital. The immunity that a diplomatic post enjoys is aimed at regulating diplomatic interaction and should not unduly politicise the situation when bilateral tensions escalate. But citizens take advantage of this, too. It is not often that the embassy of an anti-American country like Ecuador becomes a place of refuge. Frequently it's the other way round. … The best solution would be for Assange to go on trial for rape but not to be extradited to the US on charges of subversive activities. The punishment for such activities is disproportionately harsh there. However this solution would only be practicable if all the countries in question, like the UK and Sweden, used diplomatic channels to achieve it."
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The Guardian - United Kingdom | Thursday, 16. August 2012
British diplomats explained on Wednesday that under British law Wikileaks founder Julian Assage can be arrested in the Ecuadorian embassy where he has taken refuge since June. But storming the building would represent an unprecedented move, the left-liberal daily The Guardian writes: » more
British diplomats explained on Wednesday that under British law Wikileaks founder Julian Assage can be arrested in the Ecuadorian embassy where he has taken refuge since June. But storming the building would represent an unprecedented move, the left-liberal daily The Guardian writes: "Such an assault would be so extreme in violating international law and diplomatic conventions that it is difficult to even find an example of a democratic government even making such a threat, let alone carrying it out. ... At the same time, it shows how important it is to have democratic governments that are independent of the US and - unlike Sweden and the UK - will not collaborate in the persecution of a journalist for the sake of expediency. Hopefully other governments will let the UK know that threats to invade another country's embassy put them outside the bounds of law-abiding nations. ... Now we will see if the UK government will respect international law and human rights conventions and allow Assange safe passage to Ecuador."
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Die Presse - Austria | Friday, 17. August 2012
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange would fit in perfectly in authoritarian Ecuador, writes the liberal conservative daily Die Presse, because he is less interested in campaigning for freedom of opinion than in fighting the American superpower: » more
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange would fit in perfectly in authoritarian Ecuador, writes the liberal conservative daily Die Presse, because he is less interested in campaigning for freedom of opinion than in fighting the American superpower: "Wikileaks wanted to be a torch of enlightened democracy - but instead it became the digital cudgel of America-haters. And in view of Assange's behaviour, one has to conclude that this development was no accident but deliberate. Anyone who, like the head of Wikileaks, can carry out ingratiating interviews with champions of democracy like Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasralla - backed by Vladimir Putin - can only view the US as a 'great Satan'. So it's only fitting that Assange is trying to flee to Ecuador under the protection of diplomatic immunity. Now he can debate the advantages of freedom of expression with President Rafael Correa, who is notorious for cracking down on disobliging journalists."
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Dagens Nyheter - Sweden | Thursday, 31. May 2012
The British Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange can be extradited to Sweden where he faces charges of rape. The ruling shows that EU countries are beginning to trust each other, writes the liberal daily Dagens Nyheter: » more
The British Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange can be extradited to Sweden where he faces charges of rape. The ruling shows that EU countries are beginning to trust each other, writes the liberal daily Dagens Nyheter: "In principle it's good that borders within the EU are coming down also for persons who are suspected of committing a crime. However the system is based on trust in the legal systems of other countries, and that trust is not yet strong enough. … There are ongoing talks among member states, and they have already been able to agree that the people in question have the right to a translation and information. But there is still no consensus on legal assistance or the possibility of contacting relatives. That Julian Assange will finally be called to account in Sweden is progress. But he and everyone else must be given further guarantees that the legal system in Europe works."
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Polityka Online - Poland | Thursday, 3. November 2011
The Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on Monday lost his appeal in a London court against his extradition to Sweden from the UK. The Swedish public prosecutors have charged him with raping two women. But it is by no means certain that he will be found guilty, writes the online edition of news magazine Polityka: » more
The Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on Monday lost his appeal in a London court against his extradition to Sweden from the UK. The Swedish public prosecutors have charged him with raping two women. But it is by no means certain that he will be found guilty, writes the online edition of news magazine Polityka: "The British judges have simply acted in a European way: they have recognised that Europe's legal systems must support each other. This means that the jurisdiction of a country must respect the authority and decisions of the judiciary of another. There is no reason to suppose that the Swedish judges will act with bad intentions or that they are prejudiced against Assange. All the more so because contrary to general belief Assange has not even been formally charged in Sweden yet. According to Swedish law this decision must be left to a judge of the Swedish district court before which Assange has not even appeared yet."
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Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - Germany | Thursday, 16. December 2010
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was released on bail in London on Thursday. Although he has told journalists that he is afraid of being extradited to the US, he at least enjoys the protection of the public sphere, writes the conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: » more
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was released on bail in London on Thursday. Although he has told journalists that he is afraid of being extradited to the US, he at least enjoys the protection of the public sphere, writes the conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: "That doesn't protect him from criminal proceedings, but it may protect him from arbitrariness. Rather arbitrarily, or to be more precise rather helplessly, the American superpower is trying to protect itself against the unwelcome publication of documents. By blocking certain media, for example, the airforce wants to prevent soldiers from seeing State Department data that has already been published on the Net. But it's long been clear that that doesn't work. Once it's out there, information doesn't go away. Above and beyond harsh oppressive measures against those who run Internet platforms - after all, someone has to be held responsible for the misdeeds committed in global cyberspace - two opposing strategies may be considered. Either you put as much as possible on the Internet - truths, half-truths and lies. Or you avoid as far as possible transmitting very important material unencrypted through these channels. So far, at any rate, Wikileaks is not the one on the defensive."
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Jornal de Notícias - Portugal | Thursday, 16. December 2010
Seldom has the precarious stability of Western democracies been as manifest as it is after the Wikileaks revelations, writes Tiago Azevedo Fernandes in the daily Jornal de Notícias: » more
Seldom has the precarious stability of Western democracies been as manifest as it is after the Wikileaks revelations, writes Tiago Azevedo Fernandes in the daily Jornal de Notícias: "The reactions of the unmasked states show how foul our power elites really are. The case is as simple as it is horrifying. ... Countries we believed had mature legal structures like Sweden and the UK are horribly susceptible to political pressure. The prosecution of Julian Assange on the basis of a banal accusation by two Swedish women who now regret sharing a bed with someone they had known only for a few hours is unacceptable. If this fails to cause a tremor in civil society, we really deserve the sad state of those countries which we had considered unfavourable to human rights or even fundamentalist up to now. And in that case we won't even feel our freedom has been robbed from us, because we never really wanted it after all."
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Rue89 - France | Wednesday, 15. December 2010
The founder of the social online network Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg has been named Person of the Year 2010 by the US magazine Time, beating Wikileaks ... » more
The founder of the social online network Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg has been named Person of the Year 2010 by the US magazine Time, beating Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. The news portal Rue89 regrets such a meek decision "by a magazine that has been a lot more courageous in the past. ... True, Zuckerberg has founded a social network with half a billion members that has become a resounding worldwide success. He is the youngest billionaire in the world and has a considerable impact on the way people communicate. ... [Nevertheless] with Wikileaks Assange has changed the way state secrets are handled. ... This Australian has become ... a target for many states and a hero for the fans of absolute transparency. ... Between two heroes of the Internet, Time has chosen the less subversive."
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Blog Del alfiler al elefante - Spain | Wednesday, 15. December 2010
The publishing of the US embassy cables by Wikileaks and several media sheds light on an area of politics that usually remains hidden from citizens' eyes. The platform is a boon for journalism and must be protected, urges Lluís Bassets in his Blog Del Alfiler al Elefante: » more
The publishing of the US embassy cables by Wikileaks and several media sheds light on an area of politics that usually remains hidden from citizens' eyes. The platform is a boon for journalism and must be protected, urges Lluís Bassets in his Blog Del Alfiler al Elefante: "Just like with icebergs, only the top one-ninth of politics is visible above the surface: the declarations, the formal meetings, the official contacts; but the other eight-ninths we don't see make up the bulk of the activities and remain beyond the citizens' reach. Wikileaks has provided us with ample evidence of what things look like under the surface. ... It's understandable that the US government, starting with Obama and Clinton, are expressing their disgust. It's also understandable that they punish the disloyal functionaries who leaked the documents. But careful: from this point on it's crucial to defend the activities of those who published the revelations, be it the first link in the chain, Wikileaks, or the second, the five major international newspapers."
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La Repubblica - Italy | Friday, 10. December 2010
Commenting on the current Wikileaks debate ex-Vatican spokesman Joaquín Navarro-Valls defends the moral importance of the transparency created by the whistle-blowing platform's revelations: » more
Commenting on the current Wikileaks debate ex-Vatican spokesman Joaquín Navarro-Valls defends the moral importance of the transparency created by the whistle-blowing platform's revelations: "The Wikileaks phenomenon is ultimately not a serious disease that has Attacked the media world but rather demonstrates the inability of old politics to deal adequately with a reality in which everything can be revealed. ... The only recourse the politicians have against this global pillorying is to use their power responsibly and with integrity. For in the future it will be impossible to be perverse and yet seem pure, to be a warmonger while feigning to be pacifist. The Internet age is merciless. Not so much because appearances count more than reality but because the façade is now inextricably bound up with the underlying reality. So only a person who is genuinely good can look good, too, but someone who does everything to look good will be exposed as bad. A paradox that encourages hypocrisy rather than weakening politicians. Wikileaks could become the last guarantee that values that are not virtues don't survive, because sooner or later they will be exposed by the inconsistent behaviour of those who fake public morals."
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Gândul - Romania | Thursday, 9. December 2010
The websites of several credit institutions were attacked and partially paralysed by hackers on Wednesday because they have blocked the financing channels of whistle-blowing Internet platform Wikileaks. The daily Gandul says the attacks are very worrying: » more
The websites of several credit institutions were attacked and partially paralysed by hackers on Wednesday because they have blocked the financing channels of whistle-blowing Internet platform Wikileaks. The daily Gandul says the attacks are very worrying: "The hackers are more dangerous than Julian Assange. He made diplomatic secrets public but never attacked anyone, as has happened with the paralysed websites. The distrust of these hackers could suffice to trigger 'a global anti-terror war' on the Internet. The hypocritical defenders of Wikileaks who claim to be the pioneers of a war of 'citizens against the government' didn't attack a government. Instead they have caused 'collateral damage'. ... The companies that cut their ties to Wikileaks under pressure from Washington can be accused of having 'given in' but what they have done certainly can't be classified as worse than Assange's 'revolution', supposedly aimed at making the world a better place - at any price, like Lenin, Che Guevara, Napoleon Bonaparte and all those other cynical 'heroes'."
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Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland | Wednesday, 8. December 2010
The arrest of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in London is the latest escalation in a new brand of guerrilla war between the US and the whistle-blowing platform, writes the liberal-conservative daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung: » more
The arrest of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in London is the latest escalation in a new brand of guerrilla war between the US and the whistle-blowing platform, writes the liberal-conservative daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung: "On the one side is the US government, a classic state power that won't put up with its secrets being revealed, and on the other is the nebulous Internet organisation WIkileaks, which as the guerrilla of the electronic world is infuriating big America with its pinpricks. Just like the typical guerrilla the nameless foot soldiers of Wikileaks have the advantage of a profound knowledge of the combat zone, the sphere of computer networks with all its hiding places. ... We will soon learn whether the group can remain active without its authoritarian leader. Meanwhile the US now has time to develop its own criminal case and perhaps demand Assange's extradition. ... A more promising approach, it seems, would be for the US ... to invest a lot more effort in the security of its government data banks."
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Público - Spain | Wednesday, 8. December 2010
Although the arrest warrant against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was issued on the basis of accusations of rape in Sweden, the leftist daily Público suspects the real reason is pressure from the US to ensure he is punished for publishing the embassy cables: » more
Although the arrest warrant against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was issued on the basis of accusations of rape in Sweden, the leftist daily Público suspects the real reason is pressure from the US to ensure he is punished for publishing the embassy cables: "Two other facts tell us how much of a real threat Julian Assange is to the economic and military might of the biggest superpower. Firstly, a Swiss bank has frozen the account in which Wikileaks deposits the donations for its defence, allegedly because Assange doesn't live in Switzerland. And as we all know only the citizens of this tax haven are allowed to open accounts there (ha ha!). Assange is obviously not corrupt enough, not Nazi enough or not a big enough drug trafficker to be worthy of Swiss banking secrecy. Secondly, the British police arrested him on the grounds of a confused case of supposed rape in Sweden which was opened in August but strangely only became a priority for Interpol in the last ten days."
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Berliner Zeitung - Germany | Wednesday, 8. December 2010
US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has declared himself happy about the arrest of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. The US now seeks Assange's extradition for the publication of secret documents. But that will do more damage to the US than all of the publications to date, writes the left-liberal daily Berliner Zeitung: » more
US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has declared himself happy about the arrest of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. The US now seeks Assange's extradition for the publication of secret documents. But that will do more damage to the US than all of the publications to date, writes the left-liberal daily Berliner Zeitung: "The US is betraying one of its founding principles: the freedom of information. And it's doing so at a time when it is facing the loss of power over global information for the first time since the Cold War. ... There is a certain irony in the fact that Hillary Clinton used the doctrine of the free flow of information to condemn Internet censorship in China and Egypt at a congress in Washington at the beginning of the year. She quoted President Barack Obama, who justified the necessity of free access to the Internet in China with the argument that it helps citizens to call their government to account, generates new ideas and fosters creativity. With its current steps against Wikileaks the US now forfeits any right to call China to account over its persecution of Internet activists."
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The Times - United Kingdom | Wednesday, 8. December 2010
The arrest of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has nothing to do with restricting the freedom of opinion and everything to do with the rule of law, writes the conservative daily The Times: » more
The arrest of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has nothing to do with restricting the freedom of opinion and everything to do with the rule of law, writes the conservative daily The Times: "It may be that he is entirely innocent of the Swedish allegations of rape, molestation and unlawful coercion, involving two women. If that is the case it would make more sense for him to face the charges and be cleared. Sweden is not a banana republic, after all. ... Mr Assange will be remanded in custody until December 14. But to claim that he is being 'denied justice' is ludicrous. The Swedish authorities have put their case. The only way for Mr Assange to get justice now is for him to accept the course of the legal system. He should not be made a martyr over a grubby issue that is wholly separate from freedom of expression."
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The Times - United Kingdom | Tuesday, 7. December 2010
As part of the ongoing revelations of around 250,000 US cables, Wikileaks has published a list of sites that the US considers vital to its security. Making such a list public is irresponsible, writes the conservative daily The Times: » more
As part of the ongoing revelations of around 250,000 US cables, Wikileaks has published a list of sites that the US considers vital to its security. Making such a list public is irresponsible, writes the conservative daily The Times: "Whoever leaked the US embassy cables is 'an unparalleled hero', Julian Assange, the Wiki-Leaks founder, said last week. That is an odd use of a term that usually implies exceptional courage, in a noble cause, not the bravado of an anonymous leaker whose positive purpose remains unclear. This latest cable reads like a cable too far. Whether or not these installations are all genuinely vital to US security, publishing them is an open invitation to mischief - if not murder."
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Financial Times Deutschland - Germany | Monday, 6. December 2010
The leak platform Wikileaks is on the defensive after several of its servers run by the US company Amazon were shut down, presumably at the request of the US government. That shows how problematic it is to transmit data by means of so-called cloud computing, writes the liberal daily Financial Times Deutschland: » more
The leak platform Wikileaks is on the defensive after several of its servers run by the US company Amazon were shut down, presumably at the request of the US government. That shows how problematic it is to transmit data by means of so-called cloud computing, writes the liberal daily Financial Times Deutschland: "It helps little that Amazon justified its move by citing copyright violations. Certainly, Wikileaks is a special case and cannot be compared with the business of a normal company. Nevertheless the storage of digital data is such a sensitive issue that every decision against a customer will act as a deterrent. Amazon built up its cloud service a couple of years ago and wants it to make up a large part of its business. That could help the company surpass its usual growth rate. Forecasts predict strong growth for the sector. ... But that can only happen if the data cloud functions reliably around the clock. ... Companies like Amazon have to show that they are first and foremost responsible to their customers, regardless of how great the pressure might be."
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Dnevnik - Slovenia | Thursday, 2. December 2010
The US's criticism of the Wikileaks revelations highlights the country's desire to restrict freedom of information, the left-liberal daily Dnevnik concludes: » more
The US's criticism of the Wikileaks revelations highlights the country's desire to restrict freedom of information, the left-liberal daily Dnevnik concludes: "There is nothing scandalous in the reports. After all we all know more or less how things work, and have done for some time now. The scandal lies elsewhere. When it became clear that the archives had been opened the US State Department began to threaten that the publishing of the cables would destroy the world order. Barack Obama painted an apocalyptic scenario in which people would die as a result of the online publications, alliances would be shattered and a global chaos would be the result. ... It's a scandal that liberal capitalism has to be protected by a ban on freedom of information and global censorship."
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taz - Germany | Wednesday, 1. December 2010
Wikileaks is publishing new content from the leaked US classified cables each day on the Internet. This method of publication restores some freedom to readers and creates a global public sphere, writes the leftist tageszeitung approvingly: » more
Wikileaks is publishing new content from the leaked US classified cables each day on the Internet. This method of publication restores some freedom to readers and creates a global public sphere, writes the leftist tageszeitung approvingly: "Democracy can only function on the basis of transparency - yet at the same time it requires the option of secrecy. We are now moving within this tense relationship. It is fascinating to see how these opposing needs are now being balanced as readers watch. ... Journalists and all online readers are naturally watching closely what the competition abroad reveals - the sovereignty of the national editing departments in interpreting information is being put to the test. ... In this sense Wikileaks is showing once more that what we read in the press is what was thought and known at a particular point in time. To what extent this corresponds to reality must be subject to continual re-examination. ... The notion of the informed reader is dangerous populism, some say. True. But without it there can be no democracy."
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La Repubblica - Italy | Wednesday, 1. December 2010
The press faces the challenge of handling the Wikileaks revelations responsibly, writes the left-liberal daily La Repubblica: » more
The press faces the challenge of handling the Wikileaks revelations responsibly, writes the left-liberal daily La Repubblica: "An ominous yet at the same time promising challenge. The print media are the irreplaceable protagonists in this confrontation: It is the media that select and categorise the 250,000 documents that Wikileaks is unleashing on the Internet and make comprehensible what would otherwise remain an incomprehensible chaos. They assume the social obligation to establish contact with the political authorities and conceal the names of the sources most endangered by these revelations. The revolution in the media world can be dealt with by using the dams of the press to control the flood from the Internet. The only thing that would be unacceptable is not to face the challenge at all."
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Jyllands-Posten - Denmark | Wednesday, 1. December 2010
Wikileaks is irresponsible with data and can never replace the traditional media, writes the right-wing liberal daily Jyllands-Posten: » more
Wikileaks is irresponsible with data and can never replace the traditional media, writes the right-wing liberal daily Jyllands-Posten: "Up to now Wikileaks had been able to gain sympathy because the flood of stolen, leaked and perhaps hacked documents really did reveal circumstances that had to be seen as relevant from the point of view of professional journalism. But one of the problems is that Wikileaks disseminates secret material without exercising critical judgement or the sort of editorial, ethic and legal weighing up that characterise serious media. ... The Wikileaks affair underlines the need for an independent, responsible and steadfast press."
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Iltalehti - Finland | Wednesday, 1. December 2010
The documents published through Wikileaks so far have no doubt answered people's need for information, writes the tabloid Iltalehti: » more
The documents published through Wikileaks so far have no doubt answered people's need for information, writes the tabloid Iltalehti: "As the rhythm of life and the dissemination of information accelerates with explosive speed, documents that were not meant for publication must now be published quicker than bureaucrats are accustomed to it being the case so as not to warp or distort people's view of the world. ... As long as truthful information on society is considered dangerous because it contradicts false information spread by governments, information leaks will always be more than welcome."
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Die Presse - Austria | Tuesday, 30. November 2010
The publishing of confidential documents from US embassies by the whistle-blowing online platform Wikileaks serves the cause of transparency, writes the liberal-conservative daily Die Presse: » more
The publishing of confidential documents from US embassies by the whistle-blowing online platform Wikileaks serves the cause of transparency, writes the liberal-conservative daily Die Presse: "Publicity is both constructive and destructive. So what should be published, what can be published? The famous motto of the New York Times 'All the News that's Fit to Print' is unfortunately not a guideline but merely a reference to the fact that each case should be weighed up individually. A medium that claims to be a quality medium will make a point of constantly examining the legitimacy of its reporting. But in cases of doubt transparency must win the day. In the long term this is the better, more important option. Therefore it's good that something like Wikileaks exists, even if its most recent coup remains debatable."
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All available articles from » Michael Prüller
The Guardian - United Kingdom | Monday, 29. November 2010
It is not the task of the press to protect governments from embarrassment, the left-liberal daily The Guardian writes in defence of its publishing of Wikileaks documents: » more
It is not the task of the press to protect governments from embarrassment, the left-liberal daily The Guardian writes in defence of its publishing of Wikileaks documents: "Clearly, it is for governments, not journalists, to protect public secrets. Were there some overriding national jeopardy in revealing them, greater restraint might be in order. There is no such overriding jeopardy, except from the policies themselves as revealed. Where it is doing the right thing, a great power should be robust against embarrassment. What this saga must do is alter the basis of diplomatic reporting. If WikiLeaks can gain access to secret material, by whatever means, so presumably can a foreign power. Words on paper can be made secure, electronic archives not. The leaks have blown a hole in the framework by which states guard their secrets."
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All available articles from » Simon Jenkins
De Standaard - Belgium | Monday, 29. November 2010
The Wikileaks revelations will mark a historical turning point in diplomacy and politics, the daily De Standaard writes, calling for a responsible approach to this new transparency: » more
The Wikileaks revelations will mark a historical turning point in diplomacy and politics, the daily De Standaard writes, calling for a responsible approach to this new transparency: "Everyone must learn to live with potential publication and therefore learn to assume responsibility for such a scenario. And this will - hopefully - lead to people doing fewer things which cannot be justified. ... Is this a good thing? As regards democratic values: yes. Public disclosure is the greatest - not absolute - guarantee that things won't happen which the public should not know about. But concealing information sometimes also rightly serves to protect people, things and values. The 'W' year will change the world not just for diplomats, the military and spies but also for Wikileakers, ... and journalists. You can publish anything, but that act of publishing must also be justifiable. An ethical assessment of the situation is necessary here."
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All available articles from » Guy Tegenbos
La Stampa - Italy | Monday, 29. November 2010
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange could have received help from anti-US forces with the website's most recent publishing of incendiary documents, the liberal daily La Stampa speculates: » more
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange could have received help from anti-US forces with the website's most recent publishing of incendiary documents, the liberal daily La Stampa speculates: "Do we not, in the name of press freedom, have the right to demand the same transparency for Assange's own operations which he expects from others? ... The predicament the US government is now facing will make the Wikileaks founder very popular among US President Barack Obama's many enemies. And what if Assange were not only welcomed, but also supported by those enemies? ... We know that the US's power has been severely weakened and that it is the focus of many attacks. We know that Obama is being fought by many powerful forces within his own country. Is it really so absurd to speculate that Wikileaks either willingly or unwillingly has become an instrument of these tensions?
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All available articles from » Lucia Annunziata
Süddeutsche Zeitung - Germany | Monday, 29. November 2010
The new revelations by the Internet platform Wikileaks are unhelpful and weaken diplomacy, writes the left-liberal daily Süddeutsche Zeitung: » more
The new revelations by the Internet platform Wikileaks are unhelpful and weaken diplomacy, writes the left-liberal daily Süddeutsche Zeitung: "What is the higher interest in publishing the US dispatches, what problems are they supposed to address? The dishonesty of diplomacy? The special interest politics of the Americans? That [German Foreign Minister Guido] Westerwelle is head diplomat? ... It is right to oppose the secretiveness of the authorities. When the media do this they can filter and order their information and protect personal rights. However if Wikileaks were to put large amounts of raw material on the Web such guarantees would be lacking. It would no longer be a matter of controlled leaks, as Wikileaks' name implies, but the bursting of a dam. With today's technology anyone who wants to can publish documents and make an example or a fool of their colleagues or employers. But a foreign minister who must always remain diplomatic even to his or her own staff simply won't be able to function. The same holds for all those who can no longer communicate what they think."
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All available articles from » Nicolas Richter
La Vanguardia - Spain | Wednesday, 3. November 2010
Ever since the Spanish daily El País published an interview with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange the Spanish media has been immersed in a discussion about the role of the website, which sees itself also as a media critic. Francesc-Marc Álvaro considers Wikileaks to be a vital element in the modern democratic information structure and writes the following in the liberal daily La Vanguardia: » more
Ever since the Spanish daily El País published an interview with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange the Spanish media has been immersed in a discussion about the role of the website, which sees itself also as a media critic. Francesc-Marc Álvaro considers Wikileaks to be a vital element in the modern democratic information structure and writes the following in the liberal daily La Vanguardia: "The publication of 400,000 documents on the Iraq war has turned Wikileaks into a global phenomenon which challenges governments, companies and organisations and at the same time calls into question the fundamentals and routines of journalism. Just four years after its founding Assange's website has fulfilled one of the demands made most often by citizens today: the demand for transparency. We don't just want to be informed, we want to know what's going on behind, under and around the scenes. The hyper-communication society has generated a cacophony which exhausts us and deadens our responses, but it has also aroused in us a natural curiosity about everything that goes on around us."
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All available articles from » Francesc-Marc Álvaro
Blog Del alfiler al elefante - Spain | Wednesday, 27. October 2010
The left-liberal daily El País published an interview with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange last Sunday. It conveyed the impression that the boss of this powerful institution is authoritarian, which prompts Lluís Bassets to demand more transparency from the whistle-blowing website in his blog Del Alfiler al Elefante: » more
The left-liberal daily El País published an interview with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange last Sunday. It conveyed the impression that the boss of this powerful institution is authoritarian, which prompts Lluís Bassets to demand more transparency from the whistle-blowing website in his blog Del Alfiler al Elefante: "Assange has a vast amount of information at his disposal, and thanks to this information he has gained enormous fame and power. But he has not yet given us that one piece of relevant information which all those who want his work to be completely credible and validated seek. We need to know everything about Wikileaks. Who finances it, and who makes the decisions, and how. ... We don't want legends or fearless and incorruptible saviours, but democratic institutions. Only they can guarantee freedom and the right to know the truth."
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All available articles from » Lluís Bassets
Berliner Zeitung - Germany | Monday, 25. October 2010
Is it acceptable for an Internet organisation called Wikileaks which lacks any kind of legitimation to post hundreds of thousands of confidential documents from the Pentagon on the web, asks the left-liberal daily Berliner Zeitung, and reaches an unequivocal conclusion: » more
Is it acceptable for an Internet organisation called Wikileaks which lacks any kind of legitimation to post hundreds of thousands of confidential documents from the Pentagon on the web, asks the left-liberal daily Berliner Zeitung, and reaches an unequivocal conclusion: "Wikileaks has not committed high treason but has done democracy a service. Democracy's strength lies not least in its ability to confront its dark side critically. The Iraq war is among the darkest hours in [US] democracy. In China reports circulated yesterday that they are alarmed at the idea that a Wikileaks organisation could be founded there. This worry is unfounded because the authority of the authoritarian government depends on its power to decide for itself what is confidential and what is public, what the people can learn and what only government functionaries must know. And this is why the answer to the question is: Yes, it is acceptable."
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All available articles from » Uwe Vorkötter
De Volkskrant - Netherlands | Monday, 25. October 2010
The publication of the documents on Iraq by Wikileaks could do more harm than good, writes the left-liberal daily De Volkskrant: » more
The publication of the documents on Iraq by Wikileaks could do more harm than good, writes the left-liberal daily De Volkskrant: "The documents are really just a supplement to the history of the Iraq war. That history doesn't need to be rewritten, and in this sense the importance of Wikileaks' revelations is limited. On the other hand it is to be feared that the publication of these documents recording the offences of Iraqi functionaries won't contribute to establishing peace in the country, which eight months after parliamentary elections still has no government. ... There are many things to be clarified about the murky war in Iraq, and this should be done above all by historians and inquiry committees who act less in the service of the public than in that of the truth. This effort won't be supported by the 391,832 documents that have now been hurled onto the Internet like a fragmentation bomb."
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Sme - Slovakia | Monday, 25. October 2010
The liberal daily Sme is less than enthusiastic about Wikileak's latest revelations on the Iraq war: » more
The liberal daily Sme is less than enthusiastic about Wikileak's latest revelations on the Iraq war: "This type of information is not particularly helpful. The things it reveals don't make what happened any better and can only conjure up more evil. ... Soldiers will always have their secrets. But the idea that an anarchist and his co-workers would have edited 400,000 pages of documents in a professional manner is hardly credible. Naturally the significance of these things shouldn't be played down. That the torturing of prisoners is a daily practice among the Iraqi police which the US leadership chooses to ignore should be subject to a major investigation. ... In essence this reconfirms what we have known since the first revelations about Afghanistan: Yes, war is terrible. ... The documents confirm that the US doesn't have 'Iraqi freedom' under control, and this will up the ante against the US and the West in the propaganda war in which Wikileaks is an important player. But what good this will do is not clear."
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All available articles from » Peter Schutz
The Independent on Sunday - United Kingdom | Monday, 25. October 2010
Shifting the blame to Wikileaks for publishing secret documents is nothing short of hypocrisy on the part of the US government and military, writes the Independent on Sunday: » more
Shifting the blame to Wikileaks for publishing secret documents is nothing short of hypocrisy on the part of the US government and military, writes the Independent on Sunday: "Astonishing that the Pentagon is now bleating that WikiLeaks may have blood on its hands. The Pentagon has been covered in blood since the dropping of the atom bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, and for an institution that ordered the illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003 ... to claim that WikiLeaks is culpable of homicide is preposterous. The truth, of course, is that if this vast treasury of secret reports had proved that the body count was much lower than trumpeted by the press, that US soldiers never tolerated Iraqi police torture, rarely shot civilians at checkpoints and always brought killer mercenaries to account, US generals would be handing these files out to journalists free of charge on the steps of the Pentagon. They are furious not because secrecy has been breached, or because blood may be spilt, but because they have been caught out telling the lies we always knew they told."
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All available articles from » Robert Fisk
Jyllands-Posten - Denmark | Thursday, 29. July 2010
The founder of the website Wikileaks, Julian Assange, has rejected criticisms that publishing secret US documents has endangered Afghan informants. The conservative Jyllands-Posten daily agrees ... » more
The founder of the website Wikileaks, Julian Assange, has rejected criticisms that publishing secret US documents has endangered Afghan informants. The conservative Jyllands-Posten daily agrees sensitive material should be given careful treatment, but argues that we should "be delighted at the possibilities Wikileaks offers anyone who believes in a transparent, open society. Last year Wikileaks was behind the publishing of thousands of e-mails by climate researchers revealing attempts to suppress information that cast doubt on global warming. Wikileaks has uncovered corruption in Kenia, irregularities among Western banks, an oil scandal in Peru and the dumping of hazardous waste in Africa. On the day when an official working for an oppressive regime wants to speak out about the crimes of a dictator, Wikileaks will be the natural medium to go to. In the meantime perhaps someone should explain to Julian Assange the difference between journalism and activism."
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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Domestic Policy, » Online media, » U.S.
Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland | Tuesday, 27. July 2010
Wikileaks has made a scoop with its documents on the Afghan war yet the renowned papers researched and published the same facts years ago, writes the Neue Zürcher Zeitung: » more
Wikileaks has made a scoop with its documents on the Afghan war yet the renowned papers researched and published the same facts years ago, writes the Neue Zürcher Zeitung: "The masochism of a profession that doesn't attach much value to its own achievements and the public's one-sided perception have acquired new dimensions with Wikileaks. There have always been people who out of revenge, greed for profit or genuine indignation have leaked the confidential documents of their employers to a newspaper. Investigative journalism would be unthinkable without these whistleblowers. But Wikileaks is taking this phenomenon to a new level. The platform maintains that in three years it has published 1.2 million documents - for which Wikileaks would have had to receive, examine and publish more than 1,000 reports daily. One may doubt the veracity of these figures but the platform's impact can't be denied. It reverses the normal media ranking order: the New York Times and the Spiegel don't do the investigative journalism, they just print the investigative products of others."
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All available articles from » Eric Gujer
The Guardian - United Kingdom | Monday, 26. July 2010
The Internet service Wikileaks has uncovered secret documents about the Afghanistan war which the daily The Guardian publishes in cooperation with the New York Times and German magazine Der Spiegel. The Guardian comments: » more
The Internet service Wikileaks has uncovered secret documents about the Afghanistan war which the daily The Guardian publishes in cooperation with the New York Times and German magazine Der Spiegel. The Guardian comments: "The collective picture that emerges is a very disturbing one. We today learn of nearly 150 incidents in which coalition forces, including British troops, have killed or injured civilians, most of which have never been reported; of hundreds of border clashes between Afghan and Pakistani troops, two armies which are supposed to be allies; of the existence of a special forces unit whose tasks include killing Taliban and al-Qaida leaders; of the slaughter of civilians caught by the Taliban's improvised explosive devices; and of a catalogue of incidents where coalition troops have fired on and killed each other or fellow Afghans under arms. ... However you cut it, this is not an Afghanistan that either the US or Britain is about to hand over gift-wrapped with pink ribbons to a sovereign national government in Kabul. Quite the contrary. After nine years of warfare, the chaos threatens to overwhelm."
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The Observer - United Kingdom | Sunday, 11. April 2010
In view of a video published by the information platform Wikileads that shows a US attack on civilians in Iraq the Sunday paper The Observer praises Iceland's efforts to guarantee freedom of expression and information: » more
In view of a video published by the information platform Wikileads that shows a US attack on civilians in Iraq the Sunday paper The Observer praises Iceland's efforts to guarantee freedom of expression and information: "Openness has become an obsession here equal to the belief that all citizens have the right, indeed duty, to inform themselves about what is being done in their name. That view applies to all democratic governments, not just their own, which is why the Icelanders may be on the point of providing a crucial service to the world."
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All available articles from » Henry Porter
Kurier - Austria | Wednesday, 7. April 2010
A video showing the violent death of civilians, including two Reuters journalists, in Iraq on July 12, 2007 that was published recently on the Website Wikileaks has sparked a global debate on the war tactics of the US army. Once more images are setting off a belated wave of indignation at facts that have long been public knowledge, writes the daily Kurier: » more
A video showing the violent death of civilians, including two Reuters journalists, in Iraq on July 12, 2007 that was published recently on the Website Wikileaks has sparked a global debate on the war tactics of the US army. Once more images are setting off a belated wave of indignation at facts that have long been public knowledge, writes the daily Kurier: "Right from the start the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan claimed the lives of thousands of innocent victims. Women and children continually come under fire. But these horrors are the foreseeable consequences of a guerilla war. It is a fight against an enemy that emerges out of the local population before evaporating into it once more. The borders between civilians and soldiers are blurred. One must obstinately put faith in military propaganda to believe to this day that these of all wars are not dirty, and that soldiers fighting in them can avoid making fatal mistakes."
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All available articles from » Konrad Kramar
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