The growth of the WikiLeaks, some control is lost

Latest version of the WikiLeaks - files related to the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, - in Cuba took place Sunday in partnership with press agencies eight in the United States and other countries, including the Washington Post and the McClatchy newspapers and the Telegraph in London. The "official" version was accelerated when WikiLeaks has learned that two news organizations who were collaborators with WikiLeaks in the past, but are explicitly excluded at this time - The New York - Times and The Guardian are preparing their own stories of Guantánamo anywayhaving obtained the information independently.

This resulted in a rush to be the first in line with the secrets that only would never fled so quickly if WikiLeaks mad not possessed the documents first. For journalism, it was a recalibration of the relations between competitors and traditional sources. And for WikiLeaks, it is a lesson in how it is difficult to lead the coverage of the news rather than be shaken by it.

In its first prominent collaboration of newspapers, last July, WikiLeaks has given exclusive access to an archive secret logs of the war in Afghanistan for The Times, The Guardian in Britain, and Der Spiegel in Germany. Now, as it releases, gradually the diplomatic cables from 250 000 to United States, WikiLeaks said it has more than 50 local partners, most of them, the newspapers, the daily Taraf in Turkey Espresso to the Portugal for The Hindu in India. Some of these two newspapers describe the relationship with WikiLeaks as a contract.

The WikiLeaks intention has always been to maximize its impact, but its media strategy has changed much since its launch in 2007, with the idea that, if she posted of important documents to its site - one come, come all - journalists would report with impatience the new it. Since he has learned the value of an "exclusive" to journalists, the creation of partnerships with publishers who impose a collective embargo when the material can be published in exchange for privileged access to the material.

On his Twitter page, WikiLeaks suggests that he did not mind that he had lost control of its cache of secrets, saying it was pleased that its publications former partner had "added their weight to increase our impact."

Yochai Benkler, Co-Director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, think quest anti-secrecy of WikiLeaks was "improved step undermined by the intensification of competition to cover documents." The Guantánamo files, said, confirmed that frees more early already suggested: that "the future of the estate of fourth network will include a mixture of traditional and online, cooperation and competition on a global scale in a difficult but productive relationship."

In a trial this month in the British magazine New Statesman, the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, explained his reasoning. "While he describes WikiLeaks as ' firmly in the tradition of these radical publishers that attempted to file all the mysteries" 'and the secrets of the Government to the public', he added that "for reasons of realpolitik, we have worked with some of the largest media groups."

While exclusive access strategy had clear benefits to get the news out, WikiLeaks face criticism for only a few news organizations to have access to cables, said Greg Mitchell, a blogger for the Nation which published "The age of WikiLeaks." "Now", he said, "it is brilliant loose and other people get their".

Which is part of the falling-out between Mr. Assange and The Times and The Guardian.

Bill Keller, the editor of the Times, said Mr. Assange seemed to the sour on the newspaper after reading both a profile published on the first page of himself and an article on the intelligence analyst army suspected of leaking information to WikiLeaks. The profile it considered unflattering and other inadequate article. He complains to Dr. Keller that the newspaper Web site was not linked to the site WikiLeaks. "Where is the respect?" he asked Mr. Keller.

Mr. Keller said Monday, "It has been long since I have had no communication with Julian Assange."

In the tests and interviews Mr. Assange complained that The Times had worked too closely with the Government of the United States before publishing its equipment and had a "hostile attitude" towards WikiLeaks.

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Taking control of the Dodgers baseball operations

But it may be that the first stage of the Selig. Two people with knowledge of the situation, said that he also strongly considering to force the sale of the team relying on his powers "the best interests of baseball" to extract the team McCourt, the owner since 2004. Selig believed that McCourt had mismanaged the franchise while that enrich themselves.

Selig said in a statement that he informed McCourt for his decision, which, he said, was made to "protect the interest of the club, its fans large and Major League Baseball".

Selig said that his Office would continue its investigation on the operation and finances of the Dodgers during the period of the property of Mr. McCourt.

McCourt, a Boston real estate developer, was burdened by the team with more than 400 million dollars in debt and has been involved in an ugly and long legal fight with his wife, Jamie, on the terms of their divorce. Earlier this month, a fan of the San Francisco Giants has been beaten in a parking lot at Dodger Stadium in an incident which McCourt conceded exposed a lack of adequate to the ballpark security.

It is the third time in a year that Selig himself inserted in the operations of a team. Last year, it has accelerated the sale of the Texas Rangers, taking the team from the hands of Thomas o. Hicks, who had failed in its obligations on the Bank loans and did not conform to the rule of the debt of baseball. Selig has agreed to lend the team about $ 40 million and she guided towards a preferred group purchasers which included the Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan.

And last November, Selig agreed to lend 25 million dollars for the Mets, whose owners are trying to attract a minority investor in an effort to raise $ 200 million. The owners of the dishes are also fighting a $ 1 billion suit filed against them in the Federal Court of bankruptcy by the trustee for the victims of Bernard l. Madoff fraud.

The Dodgers - stable if an organization the O'Malley family owned for 47 years until 1998 - were once a jewel of the major League of Baseball with stars such as Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese and Sandy Koufax and Mike PiazzaOrel HershiserSteve Garvey and Kirk Gibson, a few years later.

But the two people with knowledge of the thinking of the said Selig decided that McCourt has seriously damaged the value and reputation of the Dodgers while being concerned only with its own benefits and advantages. The two persons could not be identified because they had not been allowed to speak in public as possible Commissioner of action plan.

The powers of the Selig are broad. It can fine and suspend the owners and players. It may terminate a franchise.

His powers of "the interests of baseball" are intended to preserve the integrity of the sport. If he relies on force McCourt to sell them, he will have to be supported by a vote of three-quarters of the 30 Major League Baseball club owners.

McCourt, who, prior to acquire the Dodgers tried to buy Red Sox in Boston, did not seek to sell the Dodgers itself, despite its financial difficulties and fight legal public with his wife.

Selig has already taken a position against McCourt earlier this year when he rejected the request of the McCourt borrow $ 200 million of Rupert Murdoch Fox Entertainment Group, which previously belonged to the team.

Selig refused to let McCourt add more debt to 433 million to already.? Selig has rights of approval on all loans of the team.

Thwarted by Selig, McCourt earlier this month it received a personal loan of 30 million of Fox, who was not in the powers of the Selig deny, reported the Los Angeles Times. Fox holds the rights to broadcast for team games.

Jamie McCourt, who argued before the Court that she is part owner of the club, said: "as the owner of 50% of the Los Angeles Dodgers, I welcome and support the actions of the Commissioner to provide the necessary transparency, advice and guidelines for the franchise and Dodgers fans everywhere in the world.".

Frank McCourt bought the team seven years of 430 million of Fox, a subsidiary of News Corporation. There are a few other bidders, including the Malcolm Glazer, the owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Alan Casden, a real estate developer; and, to a lesser extent, Dave Checketts, former President of Madison Square Garden, which is now selling its shares in the St. Louis Blues.

But McCourt has emerged as the winner despite the financial structure of the agreement; It included a Fox $ 145 million loan, which was eager to unload the Dodgers. Although the transaction was considered very lever, it satisfies the rules of baseball debt and calmed Fox, that broadcasts nationally in baseball and the Dodgers locally on Fox Sports West regional network.

The Dodgers have made credible the field since McCourt bought the team, advancing to the series several times, including for the series Championship in the National League in 2008 and 2009.

But the trial of the McCourt divorce and the publicity surrounding it have displeased Selig. The McCourts took of $ 108 million in the distribution of personal of the team from 2004 to 2009, nearly half of the personal mortgages and real estate, according to court documents cited by the Los Angeles Times.

Reports of the Selig with McCourt have greatly differ from his relationship with Fred Wilpon, the principal owner of the dish. The Mets - under the threat of prosecution Madoff and the difficulty in answering their base of operation costs in recent years as their presence has fallen sharply - are in financial distress considerable themselves.

But while McCourt is not part of the inner circle of the owners, Wilpon Selig very much is. Selig and Wilpon were friends and allies for many years, dating from when Selig was the owner of the Milwaukee Brewers. Wilpon served on the Board of Finance of baseball and was a stout tenure of Commissioner Selig Defender.

Thus, Selig had baseball to lend Wilpon and foods of 25 million last fall, even if the club had exhausted its line of standard credit with baseball.

Even if the Mets prospects worsened, on field and off, Selig allowed at this time Wilpon try to work on its problems on its own initiative. Decision of the Wilpon to sell a part of the club to raise funds appears to have addressed the most urgent problems of the Selig.

It is not clear step, however, how much time Selig will be favourable to Wilpon. Baseball has already said the club that it it will not extend another important loan.

Despite the frustration of the Selig with McCourt, it would be easy for him to force McCourt of baseball with the clause of "best interests".

"It would be messy and could set a precedent that might not want the other owners, said Marc Ganis, a consultant of the sports industry.".

CGS said that to Selig, he could better wait McCourt fails to pay its debt and then intervene to run and to sell the team. Selig has helped orchestrate the sale of the year last Rangers by Hicks, who had defaulted on its loans to the group led by Ryan.

In 1999, suspensions and strong persuasion, Selig and other baseball officials evicted margin Schott as the owner of the Cincinnati Reds lead, in large part for his insensitive about ethnic groups.

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