Move over "Citizen Kane," make way for "Citizen Journalists!"

Hardly seems fair to compare the "Greatest movie of all time" with a bunch of wannabe journalists? How can a movie hold the title of "Greatest of all time" when it was made in 1941? It's quite an assumption to make considering the future advancement in cinematography. 

Yet some citizen journalists are trying to be the Citizen Kane's of Journalism. Yes they don't have the restrictions of accredited journalists, but does that give them the right to be known as a form of journalist? (In this sense I am a citizen journalist. I don't mind that title, considering the alternative is unemployed undergraduate university student!)


Posting your opinions on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogs hardly seems worthy of professional accreditation. Maybe these people are not after that title, and are quite happy to simply have their voices heard. After all, everyone is entitled to free speech.



So when does free speech become illegal? Especially when the Law cannot keep up with the ever changing Internet. Authorities try and target people as scape goats, and attempt to file law suits that might fit in with their agendas. 


Julian Assange: Is he the ultimate hero of the truth?


He is the editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks. (I must warn you that the actual site is quite evasive, and changes constantly. So if the link doesn't work perhaps try this? Bahahaha! It must have moved!)


Julian is the ultimate Scape Goat! Governments around the world Public enemy number one! Are Julian and his team of "truth tellers"  the "truth heroes" of the modern era? Possibly so. Thank you Bill Gates, for "inventing the Internet." Look how far we have progressed! Julian has started a revolution.

To be honest, when I first heard of WikiLeaks I naturally thought it was a knock off of Wikipedia. I had absolutely no idea what it was, until Julian Assange was arrested and it made world wide news. 


The best way to describe WikiLeaks is: it's a non-profit media organisation that publishes material of ethical, political and historical significance, to the public from various anonymous sources. WikiLeaks is the forefront for Anti-Censorship. There is no doubt that WikiLeaks is changing the face of communication. Whether Governments or Traditional Media outlets like it or not, it is the newest form of Investigative Journalism. Minus the control of the Media Corporations:

Posting items online through media-related websites is technically publishing. Which means that WikiLeaks has the same rights as traditional publishers including, free speech, freedom of the press and the right to keep sources confidential. (Governments can stick that in their portfolios and file it!)

When WikiLeaks realeased Secret U.S Embassy Cables it was unprecedented and members of the public now had access to material that showed the true Agenda of the United States. Julian was labelled "Anti-American" a "Terrorist" a "Threat to National Security" and "Putting lives in Danger." The person who was blamed for the leak was Bradley Manning and he was jailed. Basically because he bragged to a third party. Idiot! (The Truth shall set you free? I guess not in this case!) 

Julian Assange has the ultimate control in what gets released and when it does. He has been criticised for withholding the remainder of the 251,287 cables releasing them in stages over a couple of months. Why not release them all in the one go? He simply states it wouldn't do them justice. Whatever that means! He is all for bringing out the truth, yet only when it suits him. Well if you had possession of "Pandora's box" would you want to release its contents all at once? 








Of course with such world wide attention the next logical step would be a Movie. Apparently Dreamworks has optioned movie rights to a pair of WikiLeaks books. This comes after the success of the 2010 film "The Social Network" which made $221 million at the Box Office Worldwide. (Can you smell money too?) Although there is no Director, Producer, or Actors to make this movie so far, it will not be made for a couple of years if at all! (Sounds promising!) If the Movie is eventually made and it doesn't get Oscar nominations, let's hope WikiLeaks doesn't release the Oscar Winners before the ceremony.

"WHY DIDN'T I WIN?" "WHY?" "THANKS WIKILEAKS!"

If there is one "Citizen Journalist" that deserves "Citizen Kane" status, it is of course Julian Assange. I wonder if he will utter a last word like Charles Kane, and who will be the first to "WikiLeak" its true meaning?


References:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/09/3088573.htm
http://www.wikileaks.ch/cablegate.html
http://globalenews.wordpress.com/2011/02/05/citizen-journalists-wikileaks-will-change-face-of-publishing/
http://www.theage.com.au/world/julian-assange-arrested-20101207-18ofs.html
www.youtube.com