Assange & Media Freedom

Everyday Ethics

Julian Assange became the centre of global attention after the organisation he founded, Wikileaks, released thousands of documents about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, along with diplomatic cables. His case was bound up in legal battles with the US government until this week, when it emerged that he had agreed a plea deal which would allow him to return to his native Australia.

Is the Assange case a triumph or a blow for press freedom? What responsibilities do journalists have to the safety and security of nations and their peoples when they publish information about issues of national security? Does the case set a precedent for governments to increase their grip, their control of how journalists do their work? Audrey Carville was joined by former journalist and author Mihir Bose, the former head of the Royal Navy- Admiral Alan West, and Professor Deirdre Heenan of Ulster University.