About this episode

This episode traces Julian Assange's journey from a teenage hacker to the founder of WikiLeaks, exploring key leaks and the impact of whistleblower Chelsea Manning.

Before WikiLeaks became one of the most controversial organisations in the world, Julian Assange was a teenage hacker from Australia with a fascination for secrecy.  In this episode, we trace Assange's journey from hacking NASA and the Pentagon to developing the philosophy that would eventually underpin WikiLeaks. We unpack the leaks that first put the organisation on the map, from government corruption in Kenya and Guantánamo Bay documents to Scientology secrets and Australia's internet censorship blacklist. And finally, we meet the whistleblower who would change everything: Chelsea Manning. Part Two is out now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More episodes of Big Small Talk

• What Does A Pop Stars Wellness Routine Look Like? With Kita Alexander · July 15, 2026 · 39 min
• What Would You Say To Your 16-Year-Old Self? With Jessica Mauboy · July 9, 2026 · 49 min
• Taylor Swift's MSG Wedding, Dua Lipa Library & Karlie Kloss · July 7, 2026 · 1h 10m
• Your Frivolous Questions, Our Hot Takes. · July 1, 2026 · 42 min
• Karl Stefanovic, Taylor Swift Wedding Rumours & Jack Schlossberg · June 30, 2026 · 1h 9m
• Is It Time For A Mid-Year Money Reset? With She's On The Money · June 24, 2026 · 56 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Big Small Talk podcast page.