Comments on: Making sense of the WikiLeaks documents http://www.dankennedy.net/2010/07/26/making-sense-of-the-wikileaks-documents/ By Dan Kennedy • The press, politics, technology, culture and other passions Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:09:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Flash Stein http://www.dankennedy.net/2010/07/26/making-sense-of-the-wikileaks-documents/comment-page-1/#comment-59083 Flash Stein Wed, 28 Jul 2010 03:22:40 +0000 http://www.dankennedy.net/?p=8212#comment-59083 I think the Pentagon Papers are slanted, they show the US as having control of this war while the leaked documents paint a far different picture. We must regain control and stop funding the enemy via Pakistan! http://bit.ly/bHUxvB I think the Pentagon Papers are slanted, they show the US as having control of this war while the leaked documents paint a far different picture. We must regain control and stop funding the enemy via Pakistan!

http://bit.ly/bHUxvB

]]> By: Michael Pahre http://www.dankennedy.net/2010/07/26/making-sense-of-the-wikileaks-documents/comment-page-1/#comment-59058 Michael Pahre Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:20:24 +0000 http://www.dankennedy.net/?p=8212#comment-59058 <i>On Pentagon Papers:</i> There are two ways in which the present document release differs strongly from the Pentagon Papers: (1) the federal government shows no inclination today to pursue a court injunction against their release; and (2) the documents themselves do not appear to be a set that was deliberately compiled internally, yet then kept from the public. #1 shows a better analogy with the NY Times stories on FISA court and warrantless wiretapping. Today's documents appear to be a hodge-podge (#2), and hence might offer an incomplete, edited, or even biased (e.g., selectively released) account of how the war is progressing. The Pentagon Papers, on the other hand, represented the Defense Department's internal official take on the Vietnam War, since a team of analysts spent something like a year-and-a-half compiling the 47-volume report. (Has Robert Gates ordered an internal report like it on the Afghanistan conflict? How about the fall 2009 strategy study?) <i>To Wikileak?</i> I think that the publication through traditional media is brilliant not because "the story [otherwise] wouldn’t get the attention it deserved"<i> from the public,</i> but that it wouldn't get the investigatory attention <i>from the MSM itself.</i> The NY Times is likely to spend far fewer investigatory resources combing through documents that everyone can see publicly than they would in looking at documents for which they have a one month scoop. (c) @Christian and @Donna: the issue of who is a "credible journalist" among the new media types is not a flame-throwing question, but is a reasonable one and a running theme here on Dan's blog... On Pentagon Papers: There are two ways in which the present document release differs strongly from the Pentagon Papers: (1) the federal government shows no inclination today to pursue a court injunction against their release; and (2) the documents themselves do not appear to be a set that was deliberately compiled internally, yet then kept from the public.

#1 shows a better analogy with the NY Times stories on FISA court and warrantless wiretapping.

Today’s documents appear to be a hodge-podge (#2), and hence might offer an incomplete, edited, or even biased (e.g., selectively released) account of how the war is progressing. The Pentagon Papers, on the other hand, represented the Defense Department’s internal official take on the Vietnam War, since a team of analysts spent something like a year-and-a-half compiling the 47-volume report. (Has Robert Gates ordered an internal report like it on the Afghanistan conflict? How about the fall 2009 strategy study?)

To Wikileak? I think that the publication through traditional media is brilliant not because “the story [otherwise] wouldn’t get the attention it deserved” from the public, but that it wouldn’t get the investigatory attention from the MSM itself. The NY Times is likely to spend far fewer investigatory resources combing through documents that everyone can see publicly than they would in looking at documents for which they have a one month scoop.

(c) @Christian and @Donna: the issue of who is a “credible journalist” among the new media types is not a flame-throwing question, but is a reasonable one and a running theme here on Dan’s blog…

]]> By: BP Myers http://www.dankennedy.net/2010/07/26/making-sense-of-the-wikileaks-documents/comment-page-1/#comment-59047 BP Myers Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:15:21 +0000 http://www.dankennedy.net/?p=8212#comment-59047 @Dan said: one of the very rare occasions that I’ve ever seen Colbert step out of character and have at his guest. He's hardly in character any time he talks copyright as well. Not hard to figure out on whose side he comes down: the artists or the thieves. @Dan said: one of the very rare occasions that I’ve ever seen Colbert step out of character and have at his guest.

He’s hardly in character any time he talks copyright as well. Not hard to figure out on whose side he comes down: the artists or the thieves.

]]> By: Christian Avard http://www.dankennedy.net/2010/07/26/making-sense-of-the-wikileaks-documents/comment-page-1/#comment-59040 Christian Avard Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:32:54 +0000 http://www.dankennedy.net/?p=8212#comment-59040 Dan, Legitimate concerns arise over Julian Assange. <a href="http://www.neontommy.com/news/2010/07/wikileaks-source-afghan-war-logs-unclear" rel="nofollow"><b>http://www.neontommy.com/news/2010/07/wikileaks-source-afghan-war-logs-unclear</b></a> Dan,

Legitimate concerns arise over Julian Assange.

http://www.neontommy.com/news/2010/07/wikileaks-source-afghan-war-logs-unclear

]]> By: BU’s Bacevich: Wikileaks Is ‘Information Warfare’ | WBUR http://www.dankennedy.net/2010/07/26/making-sense-of-the-wikileaks-documents/comment-page-1/#comment-59037 BU’s Bacevich: Wikileaks Is ‘Information Warfare’ | WBUR Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:02:16 +0000 http://www.dankennedy.net/?p=8212#comment-59037 [...] Kennedy, the Northeastern journalism professor, says it was wise for Wikileaks to release the documents to traditional news organizations well in [...] [...] Kennedy, the Northeastern journalism professor, says it was wise for Wikileaks to release the documents to traditional news organizations well in [...]

]]> By: Donna Morris http://www.dankennedy.net/2010/07/26/making-sense-of-the-wikileaks-documents/comment-page-1/#comment-59027 Donna Morris Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:57:18 +0000 http://www.dankennedy.net/?p=8212#comment-59027 @Christian and Dan: Thank you. I had the same question. @Christian and Dan: Thank you. I had the same question.

]]> By: Christian Avard http://www.dankennedy.net/2010/07/26/making-sense-of-the-wikileaks-documents/comment-page-1/#comment-59023 Christian Avard Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:22:27 +0000 http://www.dankennedy.net/?p=8212#comment-59023 Great. That answers my question. Great. That answers my question.

]]> By: Dan Kennedy http://www.dankennedy.net/2010/07/26/making-sense-of-the-wikileaks-documents/comment-page-1/#comment-59020 Dan Kennedy Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:58:49 +0000 http://www.dankennedy.net/?p=8212#comment-59020 @Christian: The editing that WikiLeaks did on the video of the helicopter firing on Iraqi civilians was grotesque and dishonest. I showed the edited version to my students this spring, and even though every single one of them opposes the war in Iraq, they were all appalled. I highly recommend <a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/270712/april-12-2010/julian-assange" rel="nofollow">Stephen Colbert's interview</a> with Assange — one of the very rare occasions that I've ever seen Colbert step out of character and have at his guest. And <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/26/world/26wiki.html" rel="nofollow">as the Times notes</a> today: <blockquote>The abridged version drew criticism for failing to make clear that the attacks happened during clashes in a Baghdad neighborhood and that one of the men fired on by the helicopter was carrying a rocket-propelled grenade.</blockquote> I think Assange may have realized that it's easier to be Daniel Ellsberg than Ben Bradlee. @Christian: The editing that WikiLeaks did on the video of the helicopter firing on Iraqi civilians was grotesque and dishonest. I showed the edited version to my students this spring, and even though every single one of them opposes the war in Iraq, they were all appalled. I highly recommend Stephen Colbert’s interview with Assange — one of the very rare occasions that I’ve ever seen Colbert step out of character and have at his guest. And as the Times notes today:

The abridged version drew criticism for failing to make clear that the attacks happened during clashes in a Baghdad neighborhood and that one of the men fired on by the helicopter was carrying a rocket-propelled grenade.

I think Assange may have realized that it’s easier to be Daniel Ellsberg than Ben Bradlee.

]]> By: Christian Avard http://www.dankennedy.net/2010/07/26/making-sense-of-the-wikileaks-documents/comment-page-1/#comment-59019 Christian Avard Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:43:13 +0000 http://www.dankennedy.net/?p=8212#comment-59019 Great piece Dan (I mean it ; ) ) Here's one observation I had. *** By contrast, in providing the latest documents to news organizations, Assange was able to get out of the way and let credible journalists tell the story.*** How are Julian Assange or Wikileaks staff not credible journalists? I'm just asking. I'm not here to flame throw or anything. It would just be great if you could elaborate on that. Great piece Dan (I mean it ; ) )

Here’s one observation I had.

*** By contrast, in providing the latest documents to news organizations, Assange was able to get out of the way and let credible journalists tell the story.***

How are Julian Assange or Wikileaks staff not credible journalists? I’m just asking. I’m not here to flame throw or anything. It would just be great if you could elaborate on that.

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