Wikileaks: a Cultural Phenomenon
Abstract
WikiLeaks came into existence in 2006, yet it sprung into prominence in April, 2010. Ever since then, WikiLeaks has taken the world by storm. It is being discussed everywhere, from Sudan to the White House. In this essay we try and explore the idea of WikiLeaks and how it affects our perception of the society. Through this essay, the idea is to explore the phenomenon as it unfolded, and ask a few key questions about the world that we live in. The paper will only deal with the concept of WikiLeaks, and not the content. The paper will objectively analyze WikiLeaks through a communications perspective, and not make any value judgments about the ethicality of the issue. This will entail an understanding of how the traditional frameworks of communication and the functioning of the internet, especially web 2.0. The idea is to interpret the reactions of the various factions of the society to the phenomenon. This includes the general public, governments of the world, media, militaries of the world etc. A few questions raised in the essay are, how does it affect the common man, or how does it affect the current structures of information dissemination, and what role does it have to play in the way democracy functions. In conclusion, the paper tries to explore the potential of WikiLeaks as an agent in a better functioning of the democracy. WikiLeaks: A Cultural Phenomenon
“quis custodiet ipsos custodies?” - Juvenal (Satire: 6.346-348)
The most often question often asked of democracy is, ‘who will watch the watchmen?’ And indeed, quite often forces rise to subvert the powers that be. In democracy, information is power. Even more so in today’s age, that has been dubbed as the information age, for reasons more than one. Manipulation of information is as old as the concept of power itself. A lot of resources and time is spent on managing people’s perceptions and opinions. In a democracy, consent is of prime importance for anything to function. And when it
WikiLeaks came into existence in 2006, yet it sprung into prominence in April, 2010. Ever since then, WikiLeaks has taken the world by storm. It is being discussed everywhere, from Sudan to the White House. In this essay we try and explore the idea of WikiLeaks and how it affects our perception of the society. Through this essay, the idea is to explore the phenomenon as it unfolded, and ask a few key questions about the world that we live in. The paper will only deal with the concept of WikiLeaks, and not the content. The paper will objectively analyze WikiLeaks through a communications perspective, and not make any value judgments about the ethicality of the issue. This will entail an understanding of how the traditional frameworks of communication and the functioning of the internet, especially web 2.0. The idea is to interpret the reactions of the various factions of the society to the phenomenon. This includes the general public, governments of the world, media, militaries of the world etc. A few questions raised in the essay are, how does it affect the common man, or how does it affect the current structures of information dissemination, and what role does it have to play in the way democracy functions. In conclusion, the paper tries to explore the potential of WikiLeaks as an agent in a better functioning of the democracy. WikiLeaks: A Cultural Phenomenon
“quis custodiet ipsos custodies?” - Juvenal (Satire: 6.346-348)
The most often question often asked of democracy is, ‘who will watch the watchmen?’ And indeed, quite often forces rise to subvert the powers that be. In democracy, information is power. Even more so in today’s age, that has been dubbed as the information age, for reasons more than one. Manipulation of information is as old as the concept of power itself. A lot of resources and time is spent on managing people’s perceptions and opinions. In a democracy, consent is of prime importance for anything to function. And when it
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