Monday 18 July 2011

News Corp & WikiLeaks: What's the Difference?

I'll admit it, I haven't been playing particularly close attention to News Corp story that's been plastered all over the press but while chatting about it last night with a friend, it got me thinking, what's really the difference between what News Corp has been involved in and WikiLeaks?
Who's inspired who?

News Corp's publications like News of The World have admitted to various wrong-doings which ultimately led to the demise of the publications and lots of heads rolling whether it be in the newspaper, in Rupert Murdoch's empire or even within the UK police.  What News Corp did was wrong.  There's no two ways of looking at it.  Morally, ethically, socially, they've been in the wrong here.

However, how was WikiLeaks much different?

Keeping aside the secrets that WikiLeaks uncovered, their methodology is dodgy.  Most likely they've been uncovering the information they have through a series of underhanded techniques, utilizing technology exploits that exist today or enticing people at the right places to get the information they want.  The end result though is WikiLeaks has been lauded (by many except the governments they've embarrassed).

It could indeed be argued that the methodology of the News of The World was indeed no different to that of WikiLeaks.  We don't know who else's privacy WikiLeaks has intruded upon and while all the uproar is about who News Corp and NOTW targeted, we don't know really know who else WikiLeaks may have been going after int heir quest to uncover the "truth."

Like I said, I haven't been following this story closely enough to know whether there are indeed differences in WikiLeaks and News Corp, but if there are, please do educate me.