The recent WikiLeaks controversy and its transformative implications for governments and citizens, particularly journalists, was the focus of a panel discussion held Monday night South Campus Commons 1.
Celebrating the United Nations’ 18th annual World Press Freedom Day, panelists Sam Husseini, communications director for the Institute for Public Accuracy, and journalism professor Deborah Nelson spoke to a nearly 20 students and community members as part of the dialogue hosted by the Beyond the Classroom.
Nelson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist, prefaced the discussion with a brief presentation on the legal rights of U.S. citizens to explain why “we need a WikiLeaks,” a nonprofit that published leaked information from around the world. The organization is most well known for leaking hundreds of thousands of diplomatic cables from embassies, including those of the United States.
She pointed to the difficulties that journalists face in obtaining information from the government, even with such laws in place as the Freedom of Information Act. The act, she explained, “comes with fine print” detailing government exemptions and exclusions that ultimately limit information gathering capabilities.
“I didn’t realize how difficult it is to obtain documents,” said sophomore elementary education major Guin Parise. “It was definitely more complex than I expected. We should have access to information about the government. Without it, how are you going to make any decisions?”
Husseini agreed with Nelson about the importance of WikiLeaks. He pointed to cases in which WikiLeaks has played an influential role, such as when the website leaked cables from 2008 revealing Israel’s preference for former Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman to succeed President Hosni Mubarak. Both men resigned in February after weeks of pro-democracy protests by Egyptians.
However, Husseini made clear that people leaking information to the website may have their own agendas, cautioning that “just because something is in a WikiLeaks document doesn’t mean it is true. What it means is that this diplomatic post was sent.”
Nelson further discussed the role that journalists and everyday citizens should play in a new age of leaks that has been heralded by WikiLeaks and characterized by the speed, volume and reach of the information.
“My job, regardless of how the public responds, is to get the information out there and hope that I give enough to the public for them to do something about it,” she said.
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