--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: WikiLeaks serves as a back-up for those…" description: "\"WikiLeaks serves as a back-up for those who want to tell the truth about the inner workings of government when the mainstream media is not willing or t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc5/daniel-ellsberg-11718_government_wikileaks-serves-as-a-back-up-for-those_2262700.jpg" --- # WikiLeaks serves as a back-up for those who want to tell… ![“WikiLeaks serves as a back-up for those who want to tell the truth about the inner workings of government when the mainstream media is not willing or taking too long to publish.” quote by Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc5/daniel-ellsberg-11718_government_wikileaks-serves-as-a-back-up-for-those_2262700.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc5/daniel-ellsberg-11718_government_wikileaks-serves-as-a-back-up-for-those_2262700.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc5/daniel-ellsberg-11718_government_wikileaks-serves-as-a-back-up-for-those_2262700.jpg) > “WikiLeaks serves as a back-up for those who want to tell the truth about the inner workings of government when the mainstream media is not willing or taking too long to publish.” [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A platform can act as an alternative channel for whistleblowers when mainstream outlets fail to publish timely. **In simple terms:** Whistleblowers need backup channels. Key Takeaway Use alternative media to expose truth. Themes transparency accountability media whistleblowing Mood cautious critical Type political activist When to use this quote - government leaks - investigative reporting - public awareness - policy reform Key Concepts journalism information flow censorship Questions to Reflect On - How can alternative media ensure accuracy? - What safeguards protect whistleblowers? A Different Perspective Alternative platforms may lack reach and credibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Mainstream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mainstream/) [Mainstream media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mainstream-media/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Telling the truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-the-truth/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Wikileaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wikileaks/) ## Related quotes > [In revealing the workings of government that led to the Vietnam War, the newspapers nobly did precisely that which the Founders hoped and trusted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-black/in-revealing-the-workings-of-government-that-led-to-the-vietnam-war/) [Hugo Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-black/) > [That's the beauty of living in New York City is that a good chunk of the media is here and willing to drink with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bre-pettis/that-s-the-beauty-of-living-in-new-york-city-is-that-a-good-chunk-of/) [Bre Pettis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bre-pettis/) > [WikiLeaks is exposing our government officials for the frauds that they are. They also show us how governments work together to lie to their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/wikileaks-is-exposing-our-government-officials-for-the-frauds-that/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) > [The first serious infowar is now engaged. The field of battle is WikiLeaks. You are the troops.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/the-first-serious-infowar-is-now-engaged-the-field-of-battle-is/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [WikiLeaks has been a very strong proponent of the Freedom of Information Act. This is probably, actually, if you think about it, probably against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/wikileaks-has-been-a-very-strong-proponent-of-the-freedom-of/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [Most of what is done I think is to kept secret so the public won't know. The same is true of what Wikileaks exposed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/most-of-what-is-done-i-think-is-to-kept-secret-so-the-public-won-t/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [As we have seen, WikiLeaks is a robust organization. During my time in solitary confinement in the basement of a Victorian prison, we continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/as-we-have-seen-wikileaks-is-a-robust-organization-during-my-time-in/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [WikiLeaks has been publishing for ten years, and in those ten years, we have published ten million documents, several thousand individual publications, several thousand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/wikileaks-has-been-publishing-for-ten-years-and-in-those-ten-years-we/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [I don't think most people in the US realize how important WikiLeaks is and why Julian's case needs support.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/i-don-t-think-most-people-in-the-us-realize-how-important-wikileaks/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [The work of WikiLeaks is with principal documentary evidence; that's where the truth lies. It gets to the heart of the matter. It educates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-harrison/the-work-of-wikileaks-is-with-principal-documentary-evidence-that-s/) [Sara Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-harrison/) > [WikiLeaks exposed corruption, war crimes, torture and cover-ups. It showed that we were lied to about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jemima-khan/wikileaks-exposed-corruption-war-crimes-torture-and-cover-ups-it/) [Jemima Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jemima-khan/) > [I always believed that WikiLeaks as a concept would perform a global role, and to some degree it was clear that it was doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/i-always-believed-that-wikileaks-as-a-concept-would-perform-a-global/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [“Dotcom believes one of the reasons he was targeted was his support for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. He says he was compelled to reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fisher/dotcom-believes-one-of-the-reasons-he-was-targeted-was-his-support/) David Fisher > [WikiLeaks is a source protection organization. We are famous for never having exposed one of our sources over 10 years. That's why sources trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/wikileaks-is-a-source-protection-organization-we-are-famous-for-never/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [WikiLeaks is irritating and annoying for Germany, but not a threat. From an international perspective, I see their actions as totally irresponsible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-de-maiziere/wikileaks-is-irritating-and-annoying-for-germany-but-not-a-threat/) [Thomas de Maiziere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-de-maiziere/) ## More by Daniel Ellsberg > [If monarchy is corrupting - and it is - wait till you see what overt empire does to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/if-monarchy-is-corrupting-and-it-is-wait-till-you-see-what-overt/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [There are some things that should not be leaked without authorization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/there-are-some-things-that-should-not-be-leaked-without-authorization/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [“The cliché that “everything leaks; it all comes out in the New York Times eventually” is emphatically not true, above all for sensitive compartmented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/the-clich-that-everything-leaks-it-all-comes-out-in-the-new-york/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [“The fact is that the estimate of fatalities, in terms of what was calculable at that time—even before the discovery of nuclear winter—was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/the-fact-is-that-the-estimate-of-fatalities-in-terms-of-what-was/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [It is a tribute to the American people that our leaders perceived that they had to lie to us, it is not a tribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/it-is-a-tribute-to-the-american-people-that-our-leaders-perceived/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [“Khrushchev told Norman Cousins, a few months after the crisis, his reaction at the time: When I asked the military advisors if they could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/khrushchev-told-norman-cousins-a-few-months-after-the-crisis-his/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [I agree that there are things that should be kept secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/i-agree-that-there-are-things-that-should-be-kept-secret/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [If there's another 9/11 or a major war in the Middle-East involving a U.S. attack on Iran, I have no doubt that there will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/if-there-s-another-9-11-or-a-major-war-in-the-middle-east-involving-a/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [“Dwight Eisenhower had secretly endorsed the blueprints of this multi-genocide machine. He had furthermore demanded, largely for budgetary reasons, that there be no other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/dwight-eisenhower-had-secretly-endorsed-the-blueprints-of-this-multi/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [My feelings of revulsion and foreboding about nuclear weapons had not changed an iota since 1945, and they have never left me. Since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/my-feelings-of-revulsion-and-foreboding-about-nuclear-weapons-had-not/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [We need the courage to face the truth about what we are doing in the world and act responsibly to change it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/we-need-the-courage-to-face-the-truth-about-what-we-are-doing-in-the/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [It is urgent to prevent new U.S. aggression. The time is now for the world to say 'no' to U.S. threats of air attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/it-is-urgent-to-prevent-new-u-s-aggression-the-time-is-now-for-the/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [“Whether rightly or wrongly, we are the only country in the world that believes it won a war by bombing—specifically by bombing cities with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/whether-rightly-or-wrongly-we-are-the-only-country-in-the-world-that/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [“Throughout the Cold War such priorities reflected a command environment in which —it was regarded as overwhelmingly more important to assure a Go response…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/throughout-the-cold-war-such-priorities-reflected-a-command/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [There should be at least one leak like the Pentagon Papers every year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/there-should-be-at-least-one-leak-like-the-pentagon-papers-every-year/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) [Explore all 58 Daniel Ellsberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) ## More Government quotes > [We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. The ordinary Afghan is sick and tired of it, because it's she or he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/we-could-form-a-government-of-national-unity-fighting-corruption-the/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) > [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [Right now we're concerned about budget. Right now we're concerned about the prospect of interest rate rise. We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/) [Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/) > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Louisiana's spicy, colorful politics have saddled our state with a reputation for tolerating lax ethical standards in government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kennedy/louisiana-s-spicy-colorful-politics-have-saddled-our-state-with-a/) [John Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kennedy/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [He is almost a statesman. He lies well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/he-is-almost-a-statesman-he-lies-well/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [We can't have a government that will collapse in three months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-varadkar/we-can-t-have-a-government-that-will-collapse-in-three-months/) [Leo Varadkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-varadkar/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) [Browse all 21,248 Government quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "WikiLeaks serves as a back-up for those who want to tell the truth about the inner workings of government when the mainstream media is not willing or taking too long to publish.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Daniel Ellsberg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/wikileaks-serves-as-a-back-up-for-those-who-want-to-tell-the-truth/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Government" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/wikileaks-serves-as-a-back-up-for-those-who-want-to-tell-the-truth/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc5/daniel-ellsberg-11718_government_wikileaks-serves-as-a-back-up-for-those_2262700.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc5/daniel-ellsberg-11718_government_wikileaks-serves-as-a-back-up-for-those_2262700.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc5/daniel-ellsberg-11718_government_wikileaks-serves-as-a-back-up-for-those_2262700.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“WikiLeaks serves as a back-up for those who want to tell the truth about the inner workings of government…” — Daniel Ellsberg", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Daniel Ellsberg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "WikiLeaks serves as a back-up for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/wikileaks-serves-as-a-back-up-for-those-who-want-to-tell-the-truth/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/wikileaks-serves-as-a-back-up-for-those-who-want-to-tell-the-truth/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```