Abject failures of Australian media laid bare in Julian Assanges return [Video]

Press coverage of Julian Assange’s release from prison writes yet another disgraceful chapter of mainstream media hypocrisy, malice and spite, writes Alan Austin.

FORMER AUSTRALIAN Foreign Minister Alexander Downer was wheeled onto Sky News to say this last Friday:

“I find it pretty extraordinary that Julian Assange would be given a hero’s welcome in a country which professes to be such a close ally of the United States. Here is a man who… undermined the security of American soldiers and American diplomats — embarrassed and humiliated America.”

Downer – who remains Australia’s worst-ever foreign minister – was wrong on all points. There was no hero’s welcome. Only his wife, his father and an unnamed lawyer greeted Assange at the airport on camera. Noisy supporters could be heard in the distance.

Nor did Assange ever embarrass and humiliate America. The brutal murders and mendacious cover-upsby the U.S. military did that. Assange simply revealed these to …