Is the press still free?

Over the years, I’ve heard different things about Julian Assange and WikiLeaks.  Good guy, or bad guy?  That would appear to depend if you’re right-wing or left-wing.  It seems that in recent days, he’s been hailed as a possible martyr for press freedom and that the charges against him are just retaliation from the US government. (All links require New York Times subscribtion)

Also, are confidential sources still confidential?