MASS MEDIA IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY: CASE STUDY 6BLESTER ACOSTAREBECCA BLOUNT

THE WAR LOGS• HACKER JULIAN ASSANGE EXPOSES MULTIPLE CASES OF

POLITICAL CORRUPTION—PRIMARILY COMMITTED BY THE UNITED STATES.

• 2010 HE EXPOSED A VIDEO OF A U.S. APACHE HELICOPTER GUNNING DOWN JOURNALISTS AND CIVILIANS IN IRAN.

• 2010 ASSANGE EXPOSED OVER 400,000 DOCUMENTS. THESE INCLUDED

a. RAW REPORTS OF FOREIGN SERVICE MEMBERS

b. MILITARY ACCOUNTS OF EVENTS AND ACTIONS

c. INFORMATION ABOUT THE U.S. PROSECUTION OF WAR IN IRAN AND AFGHANISTAN

• 2011 THE WAR LOGS WERE PLACED ONLINE

MICRO ISSUESIS ASSANGE A JOURNALIST? A HACKER? AN INFORMATION INTERMEDIARY? IN AN ETHICAL SENSE, DOES HIS OCCUPATION MATTER? NEWS ORGANIZATIONS AGREED TO PUBLISH ASSANGE’S FINDINGS. WHAT SHOULD THESE ‘AGREEMENTS HAVE FOCUSED ON? WHEN PRESENTED WITH DOCUMENTS LIKE “THE WAR LOGS” WHAT STEPS SHOULD NEWS ORGANIZATIONS TAKE TO VALIDATE THEM?HOW SHOULD NEWS ORGANIZATIONS TREAT WIKILEAKS AND MANNING? WHAT IS THE JOURNALIST’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THESE SOURCES

MACRO ISSUES• ASSANGE ONCE HID IN A REPORTERS HOME. IS THIS AN APPROPRIATE ACTION BY

A JOURNALIST WHO IS SO INVOLVED IN THE STORY TO DO FOR THE SOURCE? A. WHAT IF ASSANGE WAS A DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKER, WOULD YOUR

ANSWER CHANGE? • HOW WOULD YOU TREAT THE LEAKS IF THEY CAME NOT FROM THE GOVERNMENT

BUT A PRIVATE, FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION SUCH AS A PHARMACEUTICAL FIRM? • ETHICALLY, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOING UNDERCOVER AND

PUBLISHING LEAKS? • DOES ASSANGE’S PERSONAL CHARACTER MATTER IN HOW A JOURNALIST

EVALUATES HIS ACTIONS?

Normative Roles that the Media Enacts: Institutional Level (Bruce A. Williams framework)Radical Role

● When the media provides an alternate vision to the current political and social situation in the country.

Monitorial Role● Watchdog

function of the news media.

Collaborative Role● The media

promote the views of the state.

● Journalists must filter through the DISCRETION

● Sissela Bok’s Ethical Test: “NEED TO KNOW”

WIKILEAKS • WIKILEAKS DOES NO INDEPENDENT REPORTING, INSTEAD RELYING ON OTHERS

TO “LEAK” THE INFORMATION. • MANY QUESTIONED WHERE THE “WAR LOGS” CAME FROM• BRADLEY MANNINGa. 23-YEAR-OLD ARMY PRIVATE ON TRIAL FOR VARIOUS OFFENSESb. HAD ACCESS TO CLASSIFIED INFORMATION AS A COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST c. SUSPECTED THAT ASSANGE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF MANNING’S SITUATION AND

GAINED TOP SECRET INFORMATION FROM HIM.

https://wikileaks.org/What-is-Wikileaks.html

Why the “Leaks” Happen?

Part of Washington Policy Making• Floating a “trial balloon” to

the press• Mount support for or

oppose a cause• “Public Good”

When are they ACCEPTABLE?• Skillfully, making policies

and doing government business.

• OUTCOME of the policy with anecdotal evidence to support the conclusion.

Does the information have Political Relevance? (Bruce A. Williams)

4 Part Test:• Information is USEFUL• Information is SUFFICIENT

• Information is TRUSTWORTHY

• Who is the “Audience”

Goal for the Media: Transforming society, of empowering individual citizens to act in ways that promote political discussion, debate and change. In addition, being a voice to the voiceless.

EVALUATING WITH MILL’S PRINCIPLE● “The Outcome” or “The Desirable

End”● Does the act serve to increase

pleasure and happiness; Does it reduce pain and suffering?

● The information that was leaked helped journalist’s reveal the truth that was being withheld by an authoritative government.

● But does it increase pleasure and happiness knowing a US Apache helicopter was gunning down Iranian civilians? NO.

Evaluating with Aristotle's Golden Mean • “The actor”• Finding what is virtuous and work to

develop virtues.• Virtue: Trustworthiness• Assange leaked the information for

journalists to act as a “Watchdog” to the government. And allow individual citizens the ability to evaluate their government’s activities

REVIEW QUESTIONS:

1.Was Assange being a “watchdog” towards the government and protecting the US public? OR. Was he interested only in revealing the secrets of the US? Explain.

2.What is a “trial balloon”?3.Ethical debate: Should journalist’s use information from WikiLeaks?

4.Bruce A. Williams, four-part test for political relevance. What are they?

5.True or False: Invading privacy in an attempt to counter a threat is justified?