Cultural Studies

CULTURAL STUDIES – FINAL PAPER

IMPACT OF WIKILEAKS ON MEDIA, GOVERNMENT AND CITIZENSHIP – AN UNDERSTANDING THROUGH CULTURAL AND COMMUNICATION FRAMEWORK

SUBMITTED BY –

ABHISHEK TYAGI

ROLL NO. – 79

SECTION - B

INTRODUCTION ABOUT WIKILEAKS

As per its website’s description, WikiLeaks is a non-profit media organization which is dedicated to bring important news and information in public domain using independent anonymous sources. Such information has ethical, political and historical significance.

Wikileaks purports to defend freedom of speech and publishing by media. It proclaims its distinction from other investigative journalism through the fact that it only accepts and doesn’t solicit anonymous information sources. It uses advanced cryptographic information technologies to ensure that the information coming in its “drop-boxes” is protected.

To ensure that the information received from independent, anonymous sources is credible, Wikileaks’ in-house journalists analyse that information, verify it and then write an editorial to explain its significance to the public accompanied by the original information to enable the readers to put the information in perspective. The prominent disclosures made by Wikileaks include Afghan War Diary, Iraq War logs with the most recent and prominent being US State Department diplomatic cables.

DISCOURSE OF HEGEMONY

Hegemony is a term derived from Marxian writings and given by a Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci. In Mussolini's Italy, Gramsci provided a theory to explain why Italians didn't oppose the regime. Through Marxism, Gramsci put forward the theory of hegemony that oppressive regimes stay in power using the tools of consent and coercion of which consent is more important and is emphasised through everyday life behaviors and practices.

For e.g. Corporations remain in power through people wearing designer clothes, dining at fast food cafeterias, retail shopping etc. while patriarchy remains in...