Why not? Like any journalist, he confirms and publishes stories given to him by sources while protecting their anonymity.

Journalist? The sort of information he publishes, his timing and the people he chooses to defend make him nothing more than a political activist.

It's not difficult to see why: he has broken laws and is now stuck in a cage and the only way to get out of it is to cosy up to the politician who is most likely to pardon him.

How do such tactics differ from the Washington Post, New York Times, CNN, and MSNBC? Are those operations not journalists? Assange is in a cage because, after being cleared of any wrongdoing vis-a-vis the sexual assault complaints, a "special prosecutor" decided she had to speak to him in person, i.e. get him in a venue subject to U.S. extradition.

Everything you just said is completely irrelevant to Assange's credibility as a journalist. Just because he's a martyr doesn't mean he's a good, ethical, or honest person.