Sally Warhaft, Peter Cronau and Scott Ludlam in conversation on stage at Bendigo Writers Festival.

Why is WikiLeaks so important? What is there to be learned from the documents released? According to the writers in A Secret Australia, the leaking of hidden government documents yielded knowledge that is essential for journalists and institutions to analyse the consequences of covert and unaccountable state power. “We open governments” is WikiLeaks’ motto, yet its crusade for transparent, accountable government has led to criminal charges being laid against its founder, Julian Assange, and whistleblower Chelsea Manning. Assange now faces espionage and hacking-related charges from the US government. 

A Secret Australia’s co-editor Peter Cronau and contributor and former Greens Senator Scott Ludlam joined Sally Warhaft at Bendigo Writers Festival earlier this year for a discussion about what is kept from public view and why. What are the limits of journalism when reporting on state apparatuses, and what is a publisher’s responsibility when dealing with state secrets? 

#TWCFifthEstate

Presented in partnership with Bendigo Writers Festival

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

<div class="figure figure__display--center-aligned figure__image--landscape figure__image">

 <div class="figure__caption caption copy">
 Sally Warhaft, Peter Cronau and Scott Ludlam in conversation on stage at Bendigo Writers Festival.
 
 </div>
</div>
Why is WikiLeaks so important? What is there to be learned from the documents released? According to the writers in A Secret Australia, the leaking of hidden government documents yielded knowledge that is essential for journalists and institutions to analyse the consequences of covert and unaccountable state power. “We open governments” is WikiLeaks’ motto, yet its crusade for transparent, accountable government has led to criminal charges being laid against its founder, Julian Assange, and whistleblower Chelsea Manning. Assange now faces espionage and hacking-related charges from the US government. A Secret Australia’s co-editor Peter Cronau and contributor and former Greens Senator Scott Ludlam joined Sally Warhaft at Bendigo Writers Festival earlier this year for a discussion about what is kept from public view and why. What are the limits of journalism when reporting on state apparatuses, and what is a publisher’s responsibility when dealing with state secrets? 
<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23TWCFifthEstate&amp;src=typed_query&amp;f=live">#TWCFifthEstate</a> Presented in partnership with Bendigo Writers FestivalSee <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Subscribe to the Wheeler Centre's podcast to hear full recordings of our talks, featuring the best in books, writing and ideas from Melbourne, Australia.

Advertisement