WikiLeaks founder and editor Julian Assange says it’s a good thing there is now a “narrative” about “fake news.”
Speaking to students in Auckland, New Zealand, on Sunday evening via live video stream, Assange compared WikiLeaks’ secret-sharing operation to the “very, very, very inaccurate” media, who work in an industry full of “opportunistic snipers,” according to CNET.
When the “narrative of fake news” began, it was perpetuated by a “neo-liberal press,” Assange said, adding that he was “rather happy about it.”
That spotlight on faux news reports has been advantageous to WikiLeaks, which Assange claimed has a perfect record.
“WikiLeaks is very happy that there is a narrative about fake news out there because we have a perfect record of having never got it wrong in terms of authentications,” he said.
Assange isn’t against defending the media when he believes they are right.
Last week, President Trump, ratcheted up his rhetoric against “fake news” outlets amid several intelligence leaks that led to the resignation of his national security adviser, Mike Flynn.
“Leaking, and even illegal classified leaking, has been a big problem in Washington for years. Failing @nytimes (and others) must apologize!”, Trump tweeted Thursday.
Assange, who recently started his own Twitter account, tweeted back: “The press should never appologise [sic] for publishing true information.”
WikiLeaks played a significant role in shaping the outcome of the 2016 presidential election after it published hacked emails from Democrats, including Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta, as well as Democratic National Committee officials.
U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that Russian operatives worked to tip the election in Trump’s favor by sharing emails it stole with sites like WikiLeaks, which Assange denies.
