Assange and Espionage: A Legal Quandary

Warning: this episode contains strong language and audio of war.

When the long legal saga of Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, came to an end this summer, it marked the first time that the U.S. government had convicted anyone for publishing classified material.

Charlie Savage, who covers national security and legal policy for The Times, discusses what the conviction means for journalism and government accountability in a world where publishing state secrets can now be treated as a crime.

Guest: Charlie Savage, a national security and legal policy correspondent for The New York Times. Guest host: Natalie Kitroeff, Mexico City Bureau Chief for The New York Times. 

Background reading: 

• Mr. Assange’s plea deal sets a chilling precedent on the ability of journalists to report on military, intelligence or diplomatic information that officials deem secret.
• To some, Mr. Assange was a heroic crusader for truth. To others, he was a reckless leaker endangering lives.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

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