Julian Assange, now free, rekindles the debate on journalism and free speech, and inevitably, human rights.

Maria Ressa once claimed that his arrest had no bearing on journalism, insisting WikiLeaks isn’t journalism. But isn’t journalism, like WikiLeaks, rooted in free speech? Perhaps Ressa and her oft-scrutinized Rappler hold the monopoly on truth and political impact. One might expect a Nobel Laureate like Ressa to champion not only truth and information but also human rights. Yet, her dismissal of Assange’s plight raises eyebrows. The irony is rich: a laureate of free speech seemingly indifferent to a man persecuted for it.

Many argue Assange was more deserving of the Nobel, and it’s hard to disagree. This twist in the tale leaves us pondering if the guardians of truth sometimes gatekeep it too.

In the grand theater of global politics, the line between championing truth and curating it remains ever so blurred.