The Wikileaks founder is scathing about the “weaponised text” of the global news media, but when it comes to fake news and scandal, Julian Assange has a different view.
Julian Assange appearing in conversation with Australian comedian Chas Licciardello via video link in Sydney.
“What is special about WikiLeaks is that it’s not just another damn story, it’s not just another damn journalist putting their damn byline, advertising themselves and their position on another damn story. ”
That’s the assessment of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange , who appeared in Sydney over the weekend (albeit via video link) for a wide-ranging discussion on the failings of modern media, the power of leaked information and why WikiLeaks is happy to court scandal.
And while he says newspapers publish nothing more than “weaponised text,” he’s more than happy with the advent of “fake news. ”
But speaking to the audience in Sydney — including supporters who were willing to yell their support during the live cross — Assange defended WikiLeaks as “a wonderful library you can trust” and a source of “original pristine information. ”
“You’re not reading pre-weaponised knowledge,” he said of the organisations’ millions of documents. “When you read a newspaper article, you are reading weaponised text that is designed to affect a person just like you.
