WikiLeaks and Whistleblowing: An Exposé That Shook The World with Julian Assange (S3 Ep.24)

Jul 31, 2022

Julian Assange, controversial founder of WikiLeaks, discusses the challenges faced by the organization, legal actions, false narratives, and the value of publishing censored information. The podcast also explores the Australian state, social relationships, and global concerns surrounding the Trump administration.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Impact of Insufficient Redaction

WikiLeaks' failure to properly redact sensitive information has endangered innocent lives multiple times.
This lapse complicates debates on its overall impact between transparency and harm.

INSIGHT

WikiLeaks' Purpose and Impact

WikiLeaks aims to provide the foundational truths needed for rational discourse by revealing how institutions truly behave.
It exposes systematic injustice by making secret organizational communications public, hindering abuse.

ADVICE

Minimal Necessary Redaction

Redact leaked information only when there's a credible risk of human rights violations and for a limited time.
Excessive censorship corrupts journalism and undermines public knowledge.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Today I'm going to try something new. Instead of publishing an interview that I did myself, or a Q&A where I answer your questions, I'm going to use my platform to publish an interview conducted by somebody else. Now, this requires a bit of an explanation. My friend Desh Amila, who's a filmmaker and producer, organized an event with Julian Assange in 2017. He filmed the event at the time and then forgot all about it until a few days ago when he came across the footage by coincidence. When Desh offered to publish this footage using my platform, I was hesitant at first, because I worry that publishing this on my podcast would give people the impression that I support Julian Assange's actions, or that I support WikiLeaks as an organization.

So let me say this upfront - I'm agnostic about whether Julian Assange and WikiLeaks have done more good than harm for the world, as their supporters must believe. It's just not clear to me, and my publishing of this interview should not be taken by anyone as an endorsement either of him or of WikiLeaks. As all of you are aware, I'm a big defender of free speech and transparency. Therefore, you might expect that I would always take the side of the whistleblower who reveals important secrets held by governments or powerful corporations. For example: I had Frances Haugen, the Facebook whistleblower on this show just a few months ago and I gave her a very friendly interview because I thought that what she revealed about Facebook was clearly a net good for the world. However, my support for free speech and transparency in general, doesn't automatically extend to every specific release of hacked information, especially in cases where that information could hurt people.

You will be able to hear more of my thoughts on Julian Assange and WikiLeaks in the introduction to the episode.

-Get 20% Off and Free Shipping with the code [20COLEMAN] at Manscaped.com. That’s 20% off with free shipping at manscaped.com and use code [20COLEMAN].

-Sign up through wren.co/coleman to make a difference in the climate crisis, and Wren will plant 10 extra trees in your name!

-Sign up today at butcherbox.com/COLEMAN to get two, 10 oz New York strip steaks and 8 oz of lobster claw and knuckle meat FREE in your first order.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices