A Lineage of Leakers?: The Contingency of Collective Memory Incoverage of Contemporary Leaking Cases
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2018
Keywords
Chelsea Manning, Collective Memory, Daniel Ellsberg, Edward Snowden, Leaks, Pentagon Papers, Whistleblowers, Wikileaks
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2017.1389293
Abstract
This study draws on the theoretical framework of collective memory to ascertain the ways in which a story from journalism’s past—Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers—was brought to bear in coverage and commentary of a broadly analogous story in journalism’s present—WikiLeaks, Chelsea (formerly Bradley) Manning, and Edward Snowden. The discourse was far from uniform, which we see as indicative of the contingencies of collective memory. We find four themes: (1) lack of consensus on whether Ellsberg, Manning, and Snowden constituted a lineage of leakers, as some journalists contended, or if there are distinctions to be drawn; (2) discussion about the contingencies of historical representation and awareness of the role of “victors” in shaping history; (3) celebrations of journalism and its storied history amid a backdrop of flux; and (4) discussion of changes in technology and how they impacted the methods of the leakers. Theoretical and methodological implications for the study of journalism and collective memory are discussed.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
No
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Journalism Practice, v. 12, issue 10, p. 1259-1276
Scholar Commons Citation
Thomas, Ryan J. and Perreault, Mildred F., "A Lineage of Leakers?: The Contingency of Collective Memory Incoverage of Contemporary Leaking Cases" (2018). School of Advertising & Mass Communications Faculty Publications. 79.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/com_facpub/79
