Description
Free From Press
Julian Assange
Julian Assange released leaked information obtained from Chelesa Manning, a whistleblower with the U.S. Department of Defense. After spending several years in asylum in the Embassy of Ecuador, he is awaiting trial in Belmarsh Prison in southeast London. As alleged by the US government, he conspired with hackers to commit computer intrusion and violated the Espionage Act of 1917. He is currently awaiting trial. Manning was charged with 22 offenses in connection with the material published by WikiLeaks and its media partners between April 2010 and April 2011.
The July 12, 2007 Baghdad airstrike videos released depict a crew firing on a group of civilians, killing several of them, including two Reuters journalists, and then laughing at the casualties.
An airstrike by a US Air Force B-1 Bomber on May 4, 2009, in the village of Granai killed 86 to 147 Afghan civilians. The Australian reported it was “one of the highest civilian deaths from foreign military action since foreign forces invaded Afghanistan in 2001”.
The U.S. diplomatic cables Leaks revealed detailed information regarding events and incidents surrounding international affairs from 274 embassies dating from 28 December 1966 to 28 February 2010, including that diplomats of the United States and Britain violated international treaties prohibiting spying at the United Nations.
As per the Iraq War Logs, of the 109,000 recorded deaths there were 66,081 civilian deaths in the Iraq War from 2004 to 2009, there were 66,081 civilian deaths. “According to Al Jazeera English, some of the documents describe how almost 700 civilians were killed by US troops for coming too close to checkpoints, including pregnant women and the mentally ill. At least a half-dozen incidents involved Iraqi men transporting pregnant family members to hospitals.”
The Afghan War Diary provided information regarding civilian deaths, Taliban attacks, and Pakistani and Iranian involvement in the insurgency. According to The Guardian, it was “a devastating portrait of the failing war in Afghanistan, revealing how coalition forces have killed hundreds of civilians in unreported incidents, Taliban attacks have soared and NATO commanders fear neighboring Pakistan and Iran are fueling the insurgency.”
The rights of Assange and other journalists who set out to drive change and progress are not protected. Laws and regulations that once protected journalists are no longer enforced, nor are they powerful enough to ensure that journalists are able to report the truth without fear of repercussions. What constitutes truth appears to be determined by those who possess the greatest amount of power, money, and influence. Truth can be silenced by those who have the most power. Forbes published an article in 2016 under the headline, “15 Billionaires Own America’s News Media Companies.”. By 2022, 90% of U.S. media ownership is controlled by six companies: AT&T, CBS, Comcast, Disney, Newscorp and Viacom. This begs the questions, does honest reporting still exist?
It is difficult to obtain non-biased reporting when third parties’ agendas influence the reporting distributed to the public. Because of this, certain content is dismissed from public scrutiny and accountability when it does not coincide with the news agency’s agenda. As a result of their highly politicized nature, these agencies frame and present certain topics in such a way that certain topics are manipulated to accomplish this objective. It creates a dangerous environment where truth and honesty are not valued as much as specific political narratives.
As a pillar of democracy, the press ought to serve as a source of public trust, however this politicization of the press undermines that trust. As a result, there is a lack of transparency, which further exacerbates the divide between different political factions. This can create an atmosphere of distrust and misinformation that can negatively impact society.
It is imperative that the public demand that the press remain unbiased and report objectively. This is the only way citizens can remain informed and make their own decisions regarding current issues.
It has been determined that the documents released by the Wiki leak are genuine. There is a need for the press to report freely on the issues raised by whistleblowers. Our press is not free but wrong doers are free from the press and because of this, they are free from public scrutiny and ridicule. This will enable citizens to make informed decisions and hold their government accountable. Julian Assange should not be imprisoned for reporting on a war crime that involves civilians. It is important not to forget the civilians who lost their lives, many of whom were women and children.
#FreeJuilanAssange
