Why Does The Myth Persist That Wikileaks Is Indiscriminately Leaking Thousands Of Documents?
from the check-your-facts dept
A few weeks ago, we called out the fact that many in the press continued to falsely report that Wikileaks had indiscriminately released all 250,000+ State Department cables that it had in its possession. In fact, this was the key claim that many have used to condemn Wikileaks and to suggest that it's neither a journalistic entity nor a whistleblowing entity. The problem is, this is false. To date, Wikileaks has only dribbled out approximately 2,000 of the cables and nearly every one has been in conjunction with various mainstream publications and do include redactions of sensitive info.NPR just got around to correcting the error, even though many of its "hosts, reporters and guests have incorrectly said or implied that WikiLeaks recently has disclosed or released roughly 250,000 U.S. diplomatic cables."
And yet the myth persists. It's quite amazing, for example, that the Wall Street Journal allowed famed First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams to publish this attack on Wikileaks as being "different" than Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (a case for which Abrams represented the NY Times). The crux of the "differences" that Abrams highlights is the fact that Ellsberg withheld four out of 47 volumes of the Pentagon Papers, to be published at a later date, and then says:
Can anyone doubt that he would have made those four volumes public on WikiLeaks regardless of their sensitivity? Or that he would have paid not even the slightest heed to the possibility that they might seriously compromise efforts to bring a speedier end to the war?As Jack Shafer deftly points out over at Slate, why, yes, it's quite easy to doubt that assertion of Abrams, since Wikileaks has so far withheld much more than Ellsberg did. As Shafer notes:
Perhaps because Abrams listens to too much NPR or doesn't read the New York Times very closely, he's under the misconception that WikiLeaks has published all 251,287 U.S. diplomatic cables it claims to possess. It hasn't, as NPR noted in a correction yesterday. WikiLeaks has released just 1,942 cables, which makes Assange's ratio of released-documents to withheld-documents much, much smaller than Ellsberg's. By that measure, Abrams should regard Assange as a more conscientious leaker than Ellsberg, not less conscientious.Abrams' other reasons for slamming Wikileaks seem self-contradictory. He complains about the "harm" that these leaks will do, while at the same time insisting many of the documents shouldn't be released because they show no wrongdoing. Again, Shafer debunks this thoroughly:
Does he mean to imply that publishing state secrets can be defended only if they catch the government murdering, stealing, kidnapping innocents, fouling pristine rivers, or betraying allies? It may startle Abrams to learn that the diplomatic process has always been treated as news. Any of the cables now in the news would have made a splash had they been leaked in the conventional, non-WikiLeaks fashion.There are plenty of legitimate reasons to dislike Wikileaks. The organization clearly has some serious issues and there are lots of reasonable questions concerning Julian Assange's leadership and focus. But it's really quite amazing how frequently the major media sources out there are attacking Wikileaks based on flat out false statements.
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Filed Under: fact checking, floyd abrams, pentagon papers, whistleblowing, wikileaks
Companies: wikileaks
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Because!
Lies like this are how public opinion is swayed.
One would think that would be obvious...
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CBMHB
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100% on both
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One of the reasons
On the other hand, if they are portrayed as hackers who stole a bunch of information and posted it all they are obviously not journalists and don't deserve any protection that would be reserved for them. There are two major entities that would benefit from this.
This first entity is of course the US government that is actively trying to bend laws to the breaking point so they can throw the book at a single person (strangely, considering without Assange Wikileaks would not suddenly disappear).
The second entity is the major new outlets who have become a mouthpiece for both government and corporate propaganda. Wikileaks makes them look incompetent and they don't like that. They break the stories they are told to and Wikileaks just doesn't fit into this scenario very well.
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Re: One of the reasons
I think it is actually their incompetence that makes them look incompetent. Wikileaks sometimes highlights it, but overall, the mainstream press has a less-then=stellar track record lately.
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Re: Re: One of the reasons
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Re: Re: Re: One of the reasons
They would prefer that the news networks IGNORED those movements or pointed out how nutty they are.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: One of the reasons
fair and balanced
These terms are mutually exclusive.
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Re: One of the reasons
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The didn't release all the documents *this* time
Now, as to why the myth persists, it could very well be lazy journalism or even bias, but I think it probably has more to do with the fact that it appears consistant with what they've done in the past, so to many, it's not worth thinking about any more.
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Top Secret vs. Secret....myth #2
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Re: Top Secret vs. Secret....myth #2
The fact is that Wikileaks has redacted to the best of their ability A N D asked the American government to help them with redacting. The American government wanted them to just hand over the leaked stuff to them and not release it. Sorry, but not going to happen.
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Re: Re: Top Secret vs. Secret....myth #2
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If they hadn't put out the encrypted file, the might have a leg to stand on. They released all 250,000 documents, they just haven't given out the key yet.
Oh yeah, that and they distributed them to a number of news agencies. The truth is so pesky!
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Re:
Funny, this article is 100% wrong.
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The fact remains that they have withheld a great deal of information. True they have withheld it using encryption, giving them the option to release it at any point, but this alone doesn't mean you can claim that the release has been "indiscriminate"
They have clearly been exercising a lot of judgement in which documents they actually make public in an unencrypted form, and as a result they have only released a small minority of the cables - with redactions.
Question and condemn their actions if you wish - I am not a full supporter either - but you can't call them "indiscriminate"
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The truth is pesky, it also depends on how its being told.
So they have put out the file. That in my eyes does not fall under them being released to the public, even if they are in that file. See, the thing about them being "released" is that they need to be able to be read. Since they are still bound by encryption, that doesn't fit very neatly into your supposition that they "released all 250,000" cables.
The day the password gets out then they all will be "released."
Until the file is opened, I'm fairly certain its all speculation as to whats inside.
Damn that pesky truth.
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Most Mature Response
Although I imagine the US reply should be "...we have."
I think it was Napoleon who said "never ascribe to malice what can best be explained by incompetence." A truly malicious liar would get the facts right and explain around that, rather than repeating a verifiably untrue fact.
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Re: A More Mature Response
In fact I think many people would agree that the US government is both incompetent and malicious at the same time. This is exactly how I would describe people who call for Assange's assassination as well.
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Maybe there's no new there...
"Not much to report on. Got a little indigestion at a new eatery in the Food Court.
Do I forward parking tickets to you or does the embassy handle them?
Sincerely,
Diplomat X
P.S. Please send more money. And domestic beer. "Domestic" means "American." And ice cube trays. What the hell is up with the worldwide aversion to ice?"
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Re: Maybe there's no new there...
From: Diplomat Y of The United States
RE: Do you like me?
Yes []
No []
Maybe []
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Re: Re: Maybe there's no new there...
From: Diplomat Y of The United States
RE: The French Presidents Wife is Such a Horrendous Bitch
Between the Cheese, the Wine, and the nasty french first lady telling me to "eat some cake" when I asked for a piece of bread. I wish to be recalled.
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Re: Re: Maybe there's no new there...
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Define "released"
We don't know where they have stashed the entire treasure trove of cables. Is it on a flash drive in Lord Julius' pocket? Is it on the hundreds (thousands?) of mirror sites around the globe in an encrypted file? Who has access to the entire file?
I bet even Wikileaks could be the victim of a leak and the greater the number of people that have access to the information, the greater the odds of such a leak - uncensored, unredacted, uncaring.
Before anyone condemns Mr. Abrams statements based on edited news clips, maybe Mike should ask him questions about the points raised in this post.
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Re: Define "released"
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I don't know enough about Mr. Abrams background, politics, or views on this matter to conclude that he is totally wrong, as I think has been done in this post and many of it's comments.
Unless Mike and the critical commentators have read considerably more about Mr. Abrams, how do they know how he came to the conclusions that he presented in the WSJ? Wouldn't it be interesting to have Mike eMail him and ask him about this stuff?
I know that this is a commentary blog, and it is quite entertaining, but sometimes some of the one-shot "The guy is a jerk" articles without any follow up leave me feeling like we might be missing something.
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This is even more so now that many of the original sources are putting up paywalls or requiring registration.
Mike just published an excellent item by Daniel Ellsberg that apparently was triggered by a previous blog entry. Maybe Mr. Abrams will contact him as well.
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Re: Define "released"
tr.v. re·leased, re·leas·ing, re·leas·es
1. To set free from confinement, restraint, or bondage: released the prisoners.
2. To free from something that binds, fastens, or holds back; let go: released the balloons; released a flood of questions.
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Re: Re: Define "released"
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Re: Re: Define "released"
Your selective definition of the word "release" is an example of the type of "sound bite" journalism that was discussed above.
--
re·lease
/rɪˈlis/ [ri-lees]
–verb (used with object)
1. to free from confinement, bondage, obligation, pain, etc.; let go: to release a prisoner; to release someone from a debt.
2. to free from anything that restrains, fastens, etc.: to release a catapult.
3. to allow to be known, issued, done, or exhibited: to release an article for publication.
4. Law . to give up, relinquish, or surrender (a right, claim, etc.).
–noun
5. a freeing or releasing from confinement, obligation, pain, emotional strain, etc.
6. liberation from anything that restrains or fastens.
7. some device or agency for effecting such liberation.
8. a grant of permission, as to publish, use, or sell something.
9. the releasing of something for publication, performance, use, exhibition, or sale.
10. the film, book, record, etc., that is released.
11. press release.
12. Law .
a. the surrender of a right or the like to another.
b. a document embodying such a surrender.
13. Law Obsolete . a remission, as of a debt, tax, or tribute.
14. Machinery .
a. a control mechanism for starting or stopping a machine, esp. by removing some restrictive apparatus.
b. the opening of an exhaust port or valve at or near the working stroke of an engine so that the working fluid can be exhausted on the return stroke.
c. the point in the stroke of an engine at which the exhaust port or valve is opened.
15. (in jazz or popular music) a bridge.
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Re: Re: Re: Define "released"
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Re: Define "released"
Well what do you expect? It's a site for people to anonymously leak sensitive info to. Obviously a certain level of secrecy is required or nobody would risk using them. How can you be annoyed by that?
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Re: Define "released"
Not always. When someone leaked info about Wikileaks' own donors, they published it:
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/02/wikileaks-force/
But, yes, at times the organization seems overly secretive for no good reason.
Before anyone condemns Mr. Abrams statements based on edited news clips, maybe Mike should ask him questions about the points raised in this post.
Wait, what? Why? I'm not allowed to comment on something someone addressed publicly before I speak to them personally? Why?
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Re: Define "released"
Why? I fail to say the relevance for pretty much anything with what they do. What good would it do you to know where the secret stash is unless you are a government agent trying to stop further publications?
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Suprised there is a need to ask why.
You should breath a sigh of relief that it's a lot less likely to be burned at the stake because your neighbor's daughter called you a witch, but that part of our human nature is not buried as deep as you seem to think.
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http://theforeigner.no/pages/news/statoil-gave-into-us-pressures-to-withdraw-from-iran/
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How do you know that Aftenposten got them from Wikileaks?
It's entirely possible, but it's also entirely possible that they got them from another source.
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that was the 'unless Aftenposten is being misleading' part. I did not really even believe them until the recent unique releases. Now they are getting the benefit of the doubt.
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and your calling them misleading?!?
The Afghanistan documents where never redacted the way they where suppose to be and to this day still have not been completely redacted.
Last and most importantly, you suggest that they are not just dumping documents (even though it's obviously what they did with the Iraq and Afganistan docs) but to date nothing in the State department docs show and illegal or unethical behavior. So what exactly is it leaking? Is it really now OK to jut give any private information or correspondence away? (JA didn't think so when his criminal report and online dating profile got out).
I know that the default here is always freedom of information but you really have no ground to stand on with this claim. The new docs might be coming out slow, but they are not redacted or reviewed well before doing so which just makes it a very slow indiscriminate dump.
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I'd like to point out...
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Correction.....
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Artificial Controversy
Once done, this will be used to justify shutting down other sites which publish information, not information that's a threat to national security, but simply information the government doesn't want the public to know.
This is about controlling the international commons of the internet, and with it the flow of information. Effectively the government wants us to only see what it wants us to see and nothing else.
I don't think I have to say why this is dangerous...
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