WikiLeaks is an international non-profit organization that publishes material of ethical, political and historical significance while keeping the identity of sources anonymous, according to the WikiLeak’s website.

Hailed as an outlet that could become “as important a journalistic tool as the Freedom of Information Act,” by Time Magazine, WikiLeaks’s database has grown to include more than 1.2 million documents leaking contentious information regarding the government.

“I think WikiLeaks is extremely beneficial,” Kevin Shi, sophomore, said.

Sparking immense controversy, WikiLeaks released a classified US military video titled “Collateral Murder,” earlier this year. Mistakenly identifying a camera tripod as a weapon, the military operatives killed more than a dozen civilians in the Iraqi suburb of New Baghdad, including a number of Reuters news staff and two young children.

“WikiLeaks has not changed my opinion of the government,” Shi said. “I think it is fairly common sense that the government keeps secrets. I view WikiLeaks as the muckrakers of the modern time.”

WikiLeaks is currently under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department, the website’s leak of diplomatic cables prompting the consideration of charges under the Espionage Act.

“I don’t think WikiLeaks should face legal repercussions,” Shi said. “Doing so would be a serious breach of our rights by the government. The site may harm the government, but they can’t blame anyone but themselves.”

Hayley Dunn, sophomore, advocates for the government to shut down the site, claiming “limits exist to the Freedom of Speech,” and WikiLeaks poses a danger to the strength and unity of the nation.

“[WikiLeaks] hurts public morale and decreases faith in the government,” Dunn said. “The site helps people learn about the flaws of our government, and some things -should be kept secret. Even though they are ‘muckraking,’ I don’t think there are good intentions behind the site.”

Shi, however, argues that WikiLeaks has improved journalism and the honesty of the profession.

“WikiLeaks has changed journalism from the always politically acceptable, please-the-crowd type journalism, to a more truthful journalism. Now journalism may evolve back to what it needs to be, giving the people the truthful news no matter what it says.”