Time Mag Editor defends publishing WikiLeaks: "our job is to publish and be damned"

Time Magazine waited two weeks to acknowledge the 'Climategate' leaked emails. Then, they published a mostly debunking story that didn't contain any of the emails.

Via Newsbusters

RICHARD STENGEL, MANAGING EDITOR, “TIME”: You know, our job is to publish and be damned, Howard, and that’s what we have done. Those accusations against Assange in some cases are unfair. I mean, the criminal here, if there is a criminal, is Bradley Manning, who is the PFC in the Army who leaked those documents to Assange in the first place.

KURTZ: But Rick, you say right here in your editor’s note in “TIME” magazine that these documents released by WikiLeaks “harm national security,” and that Assange meant to do so.

STENGEL: Right. I know. But there’s no way around that.

I mean, I believe that’s Assange’s intention. I believe on balance that they have been detrimental to the U.S. But our job is not to protect the U.S. in that sense. I mean, the First Amendment protects us in terms of releasing this information which does enlighten people about the way the U.S. conducts foreign policy.