For this blog the topic we will be talking about is WikiLeaks, and by extent Edward Snowden. Whistleblowing by definition is when a person exposes any kind of information or activity that is deemed illegal, unethical, or not correct within an organisation. two of the most famous of whistle blowers in recent times have been Edward Snowden, a former NSA (National Security Agency) employee who disclosed to the public that the NSA was effectively spying on the publics private affairs phone calls, messages etc.… The second is Julian Assange an Australian computer programmer publisher and journalist, he created the website know as WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks a non-profit media organisation whose aim is to create a “free press” were all government documents harmful or otherwise should be available for viewing by the public. Of course both of them would not have had a voice would it not be for Facebook or twitter as governments often control newspapers, in a way by sharing the information that they have they are protesting against the government censorship only made possible through sites such as Facebook, Twitter or sites such as WikiLeaks.
So how much has the internet and the ease of spreading communication, affected whistleblowing and government transparency? As Julien Assange characterises in a series of essays he wrote, many first world governments are “secrecy-based, authoritarian conspiracy governments’’. What WikiLeaks is attempting to accomplish is a secrecy free government, and an entirely free media, independent from government bodies. As of right now national newspapers in the UK are still regulated by IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organization) who works closely with the government meaning the press is not entirely free as it is not allowed to self regulate. However, can the press be trusted to self-regulate and provide objectives news should it be free from any governing bodies. No, no they cannot be trusted as evidenced by the news of the world scandal in 2011, it had been revealed that they had been hacking mobile phones eventually causing them to close, for those that want to read more check out this article by the BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11195407. So if government controlled news cannot be trusted to be objective and free-news cannot be trusted to be ethical what is the solution?
Are sites like WikiLeaks the solution? For me It’s a step in the right direction, of course this depends on your point of view on the issue, should the government show the public everything or should they keep secrets just like the rest of us. This blog will attempt to show you both sides for you to make your own mind up. On one side should the government should the UK government disclose all of its information to the public that would also mean it is out there for criminals or terrorists to see, implying that it would be easier for those outside of the law to work around it knowing the governments countermeasures. However, on the flipside if the general population new what the government was doing to prevent terrorist acts it would put their minds at ease or they could even potentially think of improvement and help the government. Following will be a list of some of the pros and cons of whistleblowing or WikiLeaks so you can make up your own mind regarding this topic.
So the advantages of WikiLeaks are, it could benefit public safety as it may show information on possible terrorist attack locations, some people may also view sharing information as a moral responsibility. Furthermore, it allows the public to view the truth on controversial topics such as wars in the middle east, showing them unbiased news for free should they look for it, additionally it shows corruption and allows for internet freedom witch people have a right too.
Some possible disadvantage of WikiLeaks may include countries secrets are exposed witch could cause damage as they are able to be seen by anyone, it may cause tension with other countries or allows terrorist organisations to view and abuse, information such as police regulations. In addition, the information is often illegally obtained and organisations such as WikiLeaks may be accused of helping terrorists. Finally, the information leaked may be leaked in order to help an agenda, recently during the presidential elections in the USA Russia has been accused of leaking documents of Hilary Clinton indirectly aiding trumps victory. These are the main points regarding WikiLeaks and whistleblowing please feel free to discuss your own opinions in the comments below.
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