Assange Explainer

Julian Assange has been a central figure in the media for over a decade. The WikiLeaks founder captured global attention as he fought extradition from the UK to the United States. To his supporters, he was a brave advocate for truth. To his critics, he was nothing more than a traitor.
Assange’s story has sparked plenty of debate, fueling discussions on democracy, press freedom, and digital activism. It’s been full of twists and turns, reaching a crucial point in early 2024, with a UK court deciding if Assange was safe in American hands.
CGTN Europe chose to tell this complex story in a way that connected with young people, digital natives who want content that’s smart, concise, and engaging. A blow-by-blow account of Assange’s legal battle wouldn’t work. We had to move beyond ‘legalese’ and make the story interesting and relevant.
Our team decided to create a ‘graphic novel’ for the digital generation, inspired by crime noir novels like Sin City and X-Men Noir. This format allowed us to showcase the tension and drama in Assange’s story that’s often lost in traditional reporting.
Time constraints made traditional illustration unfeasible, so we experimented with generative AI tools such as Openart.ai. Our designer then tailored the images to our specific needs. This added a visual ‘edge,’ but we wanted more than cool pictures—we wanted our audience to feel part of every twist and turn.
That gave our story a visual ‘edge’, but we wanted more than just cool pictures. We wanted our audience to feel that they were inside the story; that they were part of every single twist and turn. We decided to use narration and sound design in a way that reinforced the tone and style of the visuals. This created a more immersive experience for viewers.
The project has received recognition from our audience and an international awards body. We’re proud to have used a new format and tool to tell this story—and even prouder to have done it for timeless reasons: connecting with the people we aim to serve.