As far as journalists not being held responsible, go back in time...some Nazi sympathizer steals the plans for D-Day and passes them on to a "journalist."
The next day in some rag or broadsheet the "journalist" publicly relays the plans including the date and where all the landing and forces are going to be sent. Or a Nazi spy obtains the names of all Allied spies in occupied Europe and the "journalist" publishes/airs them.
And the "journalist" is not supposed to be held responsible? Bullsh*t.
Assange is not much different from Aldrich Ames.