Al Jazeera Journalism Review

A supporter of Julian Assange displays a placard, outside the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, UK, on April 20, 2022. Assange is regularly held up as the poster boy for the injustice suffered by journalists imprisoned for doing their jobs, but he is far from the best example [Tom Nicholson/Reuters]

Julian Assange is no hero among journalists

A record number of journalists are languishing in prisons around the world, yet Assange is constantly held up as a poster boy for this type of injustice. There are far more deserving candidates

 

There is a good reason that investigative journalists work according to an ethical code of practice - there is often a great deal at stake when they are working to uncover social injustices and scandals.

One of the rules is that you always verify the information and source of any leak that you receive. This is certainly how Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit operates. It is essential when it comes to protecting sources, ensuring you are not unwittingly reproducing propaganda for one side of a conflict and for ensuring that you are not putting your own or other people’s lives in danger.

But Julian Assange openly eschews a major part of this code. In an interview with the UK TV station, Channel 4, Assange once said: “Other journalists try to verify sources. We don't do that, we verify documents. We don't care where it came from." Indeed, Assange explained in that interview, the system used to collect data leaks by Wikileaks prevents even Wikileaks knowing the identity of a source.

In Assange’s own estimation, therefore, Wikileaks, is not a bona fide investigative journalistic outlet. In fact, it is little more than a data-dump platform where few checks, if any, are carried out on the information revealed there. It is, at best, a cavalier approach to journalism.

In 2016, Wikileaks published links to databases containing sensitive information about millions of Turkish citizens. It was a consequence of the posting online of nearly 300,000 emails from the country’s ruling party. Now, while Wikileaks may have had good grounds to shine a light on the activities of politicians in Turkey, what it ended up doing was endangering the lives of hundreds of thousands of vulnerable women.

Within these databases were the addresses, telephone numbers and in some cases the Turkish citizenship IDs, of millions of people. This potentially put millions of Turkish women at risk of harm from stalkers and violent ex-partners from whom these women’s details had often been kept secret - also for very good reason, given that hundreds of women are murdered in Turkey each year, often by domestic partners.

This is why, while I strongly disagree with punishing journalists for publicising secrets which are being kept for harmful reasons (most secrets, probably), I bristle at the sheer lionising of Julian Assange that we see on an almost daily basis in many parts of the media.

The issue of journalists being arrested and jailed for doing their jobs has reached a critical point. Last month, Reporters Without Borders published its annual census of imprisoned journalists and revealed that the number for 2022 - 533 - has reached a new record (it was 488 in 2021).

The vast majority of these have been arrested merely for doing their jobs - perhaps not as sensational as publishing a cache of American state secrets, which Wikileaks did relating to US actions in Afghanistan.

More than half are jailed in just five countries: China, which remains “the world’s biggest jailer of journalists” with 110, followed by Myanmar (62), Iran (47), Vietnam (39) and Belarus (31).

Among the 47 journalists currently in prison in Iran, 34 were arrested after protests broke out in September over the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for breaching the country’s strict dress code.

Reporters Without Borders awarded its Prize for Courage to the Iranian journalist, Narges Mohammadi, who has been imprisoned many times over the past decade.

Many journalists are imprisoned in Europe as well - mostly in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. Assange is the only one listed for the UK.

So, let’s take a moment to remember a few of the real journalists we don’t hear so much about who are in prison for actually doing journalism.

  • Htet Htet Khine was sentenced to three years in prison with hard labour in Myanmar for the second time in September last year. She was working as a freelance reporter for BBC Media Action and was accused of contacting “illegal organisations”.
  • Maria Ponomarenko, a Russian journalist from Siberia, was detained in April 2022, accused of “discrediting the Russian armed forces” with “fake” social media posts. She is reported to have attempted suicide in prison.
  • Fahad Shah is an Indian Kashmiri journalist and founder of the popular weekly political news site, Kashmir Walla. He was arrested last January and charged with sedition, public mischief and unlawful activities for doing his job. He is still in prison.
  • Zhang Zhan is a Chinese journalist and former lawyer, who was arrested and sentenced to four years in prison for reporting on the impact of lockdown measures in Wuhan in February 2020.
  • Sidheeq Kappan, a journalist from Kerala, India, was imprisoned in October 2020. He was arrested while reporting on the story of a 19-year-old Dalit woman who died after being gang-raped.
  • Aasif Sultan, an Indian Kashmiri journalist, is still in prison after being jailed in August 2018 under anti-terror laws. His family and editor at the Kashmir Narrator say he was merely carrying out his work as a journalist when he was detained.
  • Vida Rabbani, a freelance journalist and political commentator, was arrested in September 2022 and sentenced to more than 10 years in prison in Iran. She had been reporting on the protests in the country following the death of Mahsa Amini.
  • Yahor Martsinovich, who was chief editor of Belarus independent news website Nasha Niva, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in Belarus. Authorities accused him of not paying the correct rate for electricity supplied to his office, but it is widely known that the government had targeted Nasha Niva in a crackdown on the media.

There are many, many more who have been imprisoned for doing their jobs as journalists around the world - far too many, sadly, to be listed here. These men and women were arrested for investigating and reporting on the ground in difficult and dangerous environments, not just for publishing leaked documents from behind a desk without even bothering to implement proper, stringent checks on the sources.

I would rather see any one of them held up as the face of bravery among journalists who continue their work regardless of the dangers they face.

Nina Montagu-Smith is Editor of Al Jazeera Journalism Review

 

 

More Articles

October 7: The Battle for Narratives and the Forgotten Roots of Palestine

What is the difference between October 6th and October 7th? How did the media distort the historical context and mislead the public? Why did some Arab media strip the genocidal war from its roots? Is there an agenda behind highlighting the Israel-Hamas duality in news coverage?

Said El Hajji
Said El Hajji Published on: 21 Jan, 2025
Challenges of Unequal Data Flow on Southern Narratives

The digital revolution has widened the gap between the Global South and the North. Beyond theories that attribute this disparity to the North's technological dominance, the article explores how national and local policies in the South shape and influence its narratives.

Hassan Obeid
Hassan Obeid Published on: 14 Jan, 2025
Decolonise How? Humanitarian Journalism is No Ordinary Journalism

Unlike most journalism, which involves explaining societies to themselves, war reporting and foreign correspondence explain the suffering of exoticised communities to audiences back home, often within a context of profound ignorance about these othered places. Humanitarian journalism seeks to counter this with empathetic storytelling that amplifies local voices and prioritises ethical representation.

Patrick Gathara
Patrick Gathara Published on: 8 Jan, 2025
Mastering Journalistic Storytelling: The Power of Media Practices

Narration in journalism thrives when it's grounded in fieldwork and direct engagement with the story. Its primary goal is to evoke impact and empathy, centering on the human experience. However, the Arab press has often shifted this focus, favoring office-based reporting over firsthand accounts, resulting in narratives that lack genuine substance.

AJR logo
Zainab Tarhini Published on: 7 Jan, 2025
I Resigned from CNN Over its Pro-Israel Bias

  Developing as a young journalist without jeopardizing your morals has become incredibly difficult.

Ana Maria Monjardino
Ana Maria Monjardino Published on: 2 Jan, 2025
Digital Colonialism: The Global South Facing Closed Screens

After the independence of the Maghreb countries, the old resistance fighters used to say that "colonialism left through the door only to return through the window," and now it is returning in new forms of dominance through the window of digital colonialism. This control is evident in the acquisition of major technological and media companies, while the South is still looking for an alternative.

Ahmad Radwan
Ahmad Radwan Published on: 31 Dec, 2024
Independent Syrian Journalism: From Revolution to Assad's Fall

Independent Syrian journalism played a pivotal role in exposing regime corruption and documenting war crimes during the 13-year revolution, despite immense risks to journalists, including imprisonment, assassination, and exile. Operating from abroad, these journalists pioneered investigative and open-source reporting, preserving evidence, and shaping narratives that challenged the Assad regime's propaganda.

Ahmad Haj Hamdo
Ahmad Haj Hamdo Published on: 17 Dec, 2024
Bolivia’s Mines and Radio: A Voice of the Global South Against Hegemony

Miners' radio stations in the heart of Bolivia's mining communities, played a crucial role in shaping communication within mining communities, contributing to social and political movements. These stations intersected with anarchist theatre, educational initiatives, and alternative media, addressing labour rights, minority groups, and imperialism.

Khaldoun Shami PhD
Khaldoun H. Shami Published on: 16 Dec, 2024
How Does Misinformation Undermine Public Trust in Journalism?

Reports reveal a growing loss of trust in the media, driven by the extent of misinformation that undermines professional journalism's ability to influence public discourse. The platforms of misinformation, now supported by states and private entities during conflicts and wars, threaten to strip the profession of its core roles of accountability and oversight.

Muhammad Khamaiseh Published on: 13 Nov, 2024
Challenging the Narrative: Jeremy Scahill on the Need for Adversarial Journalism

Investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill calls for a revival of "adversarial journalism" to reinstate crucial professional and humanitarian values in mainstream Western media, especially regarding the coverage of the Gaza genocide.

Mohammad Zeidan
Mohammad Zeidan Published on: 10 Nov, 2024
Freedom of the Press in Jordan and Unconstitutional Interpretations

Since the approval of the Cybercrime Law in Jordan, freedom of opinion and expression has entered a troubling phase marked by the arrest of journalists and restrictions on media. Musab Shawabkeh offers a constitutional reading based on interpretations and rulings that uphold freedom of expression in a context where the country needs diverse opinions in the face of the Israeli ultra right wing politics.

Musab Shawabkeh
Musab Al Shawabkeh Published on: 8 Nov, 2024
Voting in a Time of Genocide

The upcoming U.S. presidential election occurs against the backdrop of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, with AJ Plus prioritising marginalised voices and critically analysing Western mainstream media narratives while highlighting the undemocratic aspects of the U.S. electoral system.

Tony Karon Published on: 22 Oct, 2024
Journalists Should Not Embrace the Artificial Intelligence Hype

What factors should journalists take into account while discussing the use of AI in the media?

Jorge Sagastume Muralles
Jorge Sagastume Published on: 16 Oct, 2024
A Year of Genocide and Bias: Western Media's Whitewashing of Israel's Ongoing War on Gaza

Major Western media outlets continue to prove that they are a party in the war of narratives, siding with the Israeli occupation. The article explains how these major Western media outlets are still refining their techniques of bias in favor of the occupation, even a year after the genocide in Palestine.

Mohammad Zeidan
Mohammad Zeidan Published on: 9 Oct, 2024
A Half-Truth is a Full Lie

Misinformation is rampant in modern conflicts, worsened by the internet and social media, where false news spreads easily. While news agencies aim to provide unbiased, fact-based reporting, their focus on brevity and hard facts often lacks the necessary context, leaving the public vulnerable to manipulation and unable to fully grasp the complexities of these issues.

Ilya
Ilya U Topper Published on: 30 Sep, 2024
Testimonies of the First Witness of the Sabra & Shatila Massacre

The Sabra and Shatila massacre in 1982 saw over 3,000 unarmed Palestinian refugees brutally killed by Phalangist militias under the facilitation of Israeli forces. As the first journalist to enter the camps, Japanese journalist Ryuichi Hirokawa provides a harrowing first-hand account of the atrocity amid a media blackout. His testimony highlights the power of bearing witness to a war crime and contrasts the past Israeli public outcry with today’s silence over the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Mei Shigenobu مي شيغينوبو
Mei Shigenobu Published on: 18 Sep, 2024
Anonymous Sources in the New York Times... Covering the War with One Eye

The use of anonymous sources in journalism is considered, within professional and ethical standards, a “last option” for journalists. However, analysis of New York Times data reveals a persistent pattern in the use of “anonymity” to support specific narratives, especially Israeli narratives.

Mohammad Zeidan
Mohammad Zeidan Published on: 8 Sep, 2024
India and Pakistan; Journalists building Bridges for Understanding

Amid decades of tension, journalists from India and Pakistan are uniting to combat hostile narratives and highlight shared challenges. Through collaboration, they’re fostering understanding on pressing issues like climate change and healthcare, proving that empathy can transcend borders. Discover how initiatives like the Journalists' Exchange Programme are paving the way for peace journalism and a more nuanced narrative.

Safina
Safina Nabi Published on: 12 Aug, 2024
From TV Screens to YouTube: The Rise of Exiled Journalists in Pakistan

Pakistani journalists are leveraging YouTube to overcome censorship, connecting with global audiences, and redefining independent reporting in their homeland.

Anam Hussain
Anam Hussain Published on: 28 Jul, 2024
How AI Synthesised Media Shapes Voter Perception: India's Case in Point

The recent Indian elections witnessed the unprecedented use of generative AI, leading to a surge in misinformation and deepfakes. Political parties leveraged AI to create digital avatars of deceased leaders, Bollywood actors

Suvrat Arora
Suvrat Arora Published on: 12 Jun, 2024
The Rise of Podcasting: How Digital Audio Is Revolutionising Journalism

In this age of digital transformation and media convergence, podcasts stand out as a testament to the enduring power of journalism—a medium that transcends borders, sparks conversations, and brings the world closer together.

Anam Hussain
Anam Hussain Published on: 6 Jun, 2024
Under Fire: The Perilous Reality for Journalists in Gaza's War Zone

Journalists lack safety equipment and legal protection, highlighting the challenges faced by journalists in Gaza. While Israel denies responsibility for targeting journalists, the lack of international intervention leaves journalists in Gaza exposed to daily danger.

Linda Shalash
Linda Shalash Published on: 9 May, 2024
Your Words Are Your Weapon — You Are a Soldier in a Propaganda War

Narrative warfare and the role of journalists in it is immense; the context of the conflict, the battleground has shifted to the realm of narratives, where journalists play a decisive role in shaping the narrative.

Ilya
Ilya U Topper Published on: 21 Apr, 2024
The Privilege and Burden of Conflict Reporting in Nigeria: Navigating the Emotional Toll

The internal struggle and moral dilemmas faced by a conflict reporter, as they grapple with the overwhelming nature of the tragedies they witness and the sense of helplessness in the face of such immense suffering. It ultimately underscores the vital role of conflict journalism in preserving historical memory and giving a voice to the voiceless.

Hauwa Shaffii Nuhu
Hauwa Shaffii Nuhu Published on: 17 Apr, 2024