WikiLeaks has certainly added another facet to the way we do journalism, but one that the media seem too ambivalent about.

Certainly WikiLeaks has leveraged the power of the internet to get confidential documents through an anonymous online drop box. It has also developed a network of servers in some countries so as to resist cyber attack attempts to shut it down. One such unsuccessful attack occurred this week.

Journalists can also use search and online database techniques to reorganise the massive amounts of data to find the hidden gems, such as the detailed trickle that is now emerging from the initial release of about 250,000 of US diplomatic documents.

For example, the media were able to ascertain that about 27 of them come from Bermuda’s US Consulate and that 68 cables refer to Bermuda. These have not been released yet, but I am sure a lot of people on the Island are waiting for them.

What is to be noted is the furore WikiLeaks is causing among politicians and the lack, so far, of a vigorous media defence of the service.

The release of the documents has brought out the worst in many politicians, with some in the US calling for founder Julian Assange to be charged with violating criminal laws, including the Espionage Act, and to be labelled a terrorist.

We can expect such nonsense from politicians. For media junkies, remember the Pentagon Papers and the upholding of the right of the New York Times to publish them in the New York Times and the Washington Post?

US law really upholds the freedom of the press, and I count WikiLeaks under that protective umbrella. However, the US government could make life tough and expensive for Assange by charging him.

That’s why it is surprising that the regular media seem to have taken a stand back approach to him and the site. Normally you would find every decent editor thundering from the pulpit about freedom of the press and the right to publish.

I can guess that embarrassment is behind the stunning silence, the refusal of some media to publish the documents, or downplay their relevance. It is embarrassing that the development of such a powerful game changer was not done by traditional media organisations. It took an outsider, one who was dedicated and passionate about uncovering what every reporter would love to get their hands on. So we didn’t leverage the technology or the power to attract leakers, who did not have the means to leak before.

The media’s monopoly on the “news” was cracked apart by the internet, with the rise of thousands of bloggers and fresh online publications. It was further eroded by “citizen journalists”. And now it is being bulldozed by WikiLeaks, which is showing them how to do their business better.

The media powerhouses should now set up similar sites for their geographic coverage areas. That way, if WikiLeaks is shut down or its founder silenced, the news will march on. And while you may not agree with all that WikiLeaks does (for example, it should have taken out the names of some of the Afghan sources in its previous leak of documents), the media and the man or woman on the street should defend the principles that underlie our profession, and that are a part of a healthy democracy.

I wonder what would happen if Bermuda’s media got hold of thousands of Government documents and decided to publish them?

Lastly, don’t forget to give your input into a proposed revision of Bermuda’s Electronic Transaction Act. If you are a business owner, online or off, it is particularly important that you participate and attend the public meetings. Go to www.gov.bm for the consultation.

Christmas is almost upon us and I am doing a shout out to all the techies out there to recommend some hot gadgets or software that would make everyone’s life easier. Just send me a wish list so I can help shoppers out there pick up something for their favourite gadget-mad person.

Send any comments to Ahmed at elamin.ahmed@gmail.com.