Nathan Crites-Herren
The Paw Print
When we examine freedom of press, and the role of media to not only safeguard this principal, but to enhance its practices we find a clear disconnect between this cornerstone principal and the very institutions who are supposed to defend it. By the late seventies and into the mid-eighties American media experienced a drastic monopolization; one that saw more than three hundred independently owned local and national media organizations fall into the hands of seventeen corporate owners. By the mid-nineties the number shrunk to seven, giving rise to the Rupert Murdoch type media enterprises that dominate the media landscape we now inhabit.
The coalescence of media resources into the hands of faceless corporate entities like Clear Channel, Fox, CNN and NBC to name a few, has homogenized the media content of the country. These outlets create news content which is largely fueled by a motive of profit, creating the sensationalistic type media that dominates much of news content. Rarely do we see independent and investigative news coming from the media conglomerates; rather we see a pre-planned politically encouraged propaganda juggernaut pumping out shallow stories that benefit the image of their sponsors or their political affiliates.
Within the murky abyss of powerful media elites, emerges the bastion of a new type of democratic free press, Wiki Leaks. Aided by the technological revolution, Julian Assange founder of Wiki Leaks managed to create a direct source media outlet, free of bias and corporate control. Wiki Leaks manifesto is simple; bring freedom of information directly to the people by providing an uncensored venue for leaked documents, either coming from governments, corporations or any other influential entity.
Gaining international attention in early 2011, after publishing a hoard of leaked government documents allegedly released by then US Army Private Bradley Manning, Wiki Leaks and Assange were immediately labeled by both conservatives and democrats has a great threat to American security and interests. Among other things, the leaked documents revealed the numerous secret backroom dealings the US government made with Iraqi officials, and Al Qaeda operatives, has well as detailed classified CIA reports pertaining to the torture suffered by Abu-Grab inmates. Many of these documents implicate US officials in explicit criminal acts ranging from fraud to human rights abuses. The aftermath from these leaked documents prompted Republicans to demand that Assange be tried under the Espionage act of 1917, which ultimately lead to an economic blockade against Wiki Leaks imposed by Visa, Master Card and Pay Pal. The blockade froze all funding for Wiki Leaks, shutting it down in mid-July.
Despite the McCarthy style witch hunt of Assange and Wiki Leaks, in their short existence they have managed to change the face of media forever. For example, The thousands of leaked documents published on their website is proof that anonymity for whistle blowers can be maintained, encouraging more people to come forward and expose corruption and secret official criminal acts. Also, in the past year Wiki Leaks has contributed more too, uncovering important national and international news stories than all the main media outlets combined. In fact, corporate media outlets frequently use documents released by Wiki Leaks in their own stories yet continue to deny their existence has a legitimate journalistic purpose.
The future of Wiki Leaks is looking grim; Assange is being tried in Brittan on a bogus sexual assault case which is meant to slander the reputation of Wiki Leaks, since no actual criminal charges can be brought against the organization. Meanwhile, Wiki-Leaks is continually denied credit-card based funding, thanks to the credit card companies who have become instruments of U.S. policy.
As we continue forward in this confusing and corporate dominated media terrain, we must support alternative media outlets like Wiki Leaks. For their contributions strike at the very heart of true democratic media practices, revealing the power of journalism has an egalitarian force seeking nothing less than transparency and truth. Assange and Wiki Leaks are the long awaited vanguards of a new era of media, one that confronts the powerful elite in a frank and challenging manner, leaving nothing to question.
What’s Been Said…