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But it's activism not journalism. I don't understand the distinction you're trying to draw here. If the journalism industry did its job properly, there would b

But it's activism not journalism. I don't understand the distinction you're trying to draw here. If the journalism industry did its job properly, there would be no reason for Wikileaks to exist; they would (literally) have nothing to add to the conversation. But journalists are not doing their jobs properly, and so there are opportunities for Wikileaks to contribute to the public discourse. Wikileaks does some journalism. They might be doing activism at the same time, but that does not mean they're not also engaged in journalism. I think Greg Sargent's perspective on the "partisan" versus "objective" journalists might be relevant here: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/06/a_little_message_to_jeffrey_go.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/06/a_little_...

ErrantX 16y ago
> If the journalism industry did its job properly, there would be no reason for Wikileaks to exist; Not true. Journalists still have to work within the laws of their country (and possibly, if they want to travel, the laws of others too). Entities like Wikileaks will always be able to push the boundaries further. (that's not to say the journalism industry isn't pretty hopeless) I think Wikileaks does both journalism and activism; nowadays probably more of the latter than the former.
- bluedanieru 16y ago
  You have a point, but not all the failures of contemporary journalism are due to strict laws, or some such. Nothing coming out of anything owned by News Corp. falls into that category, for example.
  - ErrantX 16y ago
    Oh absolutely (which is sort of what I meant with: that's not to say the journalism industry isn't pretty hopeless). Journalism is getting worse (in general anyway) and more "trashy". Sadly that is probably less driven by constriction of press freedom (or whatever) as it is by the populace hankering after worthless trash :(

ErrantX 16y ago

> If the journalism industry did its job properly, there would be no reason for Wikileaks to exist; Not true. Journalists still have to work within the laws of their country (and possibly, if they want to travel, the laws of others too). Entities like Wikileaks will always be able to push the boundaries further. (that's not to say the journalism industry isn't pretty hopeless) I think Wikileaks does both journalism and activism; nowadays probably more of the latter than the former.

bluedanieru 16y ago
You have a point, but not all the failures of contemporary journalism are due to strict laws, or some such. Nothing coming out of anything owned by News Corp. falls into that category, for example.
- ErrantX 16y ago
  Oh absolutely (which is sort of what I meant with: that's not to say the journalism industry isn't pretty hopeless). Journalism is getting worse (in general anyway) and more "trashy". Sadly that is probably less driven by constriction of press freedom (or whatever) as it is by the populace hankering after worthless trash :(