Like him or not, the WikiLeaks founder represents things that need protecting.

I want to ask my journalist colleagues in Australia: why the silence over Julian Assange? Is it because you don’t think he’s a journalist? Is it the sexual assault allegations? Because he belittles mainstream media? Fear you might lose access to those in power? Fear you might be called an activist? Or have you just forgotten?

Journalists like to think they would go to jail to protect a source. Well Assange is in jail, in failing health in London’s Belmarsh prison, awaiting the resumption of his extradition hearing on September 7.

That hearing will determine whether he is extradited to Donald Trump’s America, where he faces 175 years in jail for exposing how the United States waged war in Iraq and Afghanistan and did business with its allies and enemies. 

Assange has been a fine source for Australian journalists for more than 10 years as founder of WikiLeaks. They’ve written countless stories from his leaks and he helped to unlock new ways for media organisations to shine a light on how the powerful operate — with methods WikiLeaks devised so whistleblowers could send documents securely.

Just last year the ABC launched SecureDrop for whistleblowers to contact journalists anonymously. 

Now journalists have the chance to put pressure on the government to bring Assange home. If they won’t speak up for him, should they use WikiLeaks’ treasure trove? Is that morally right?

The charges against him under a World War I-era law stem from the release of Iraq and Afghanistan war logs, State Department cables and assessments of Guantanamo detainees.