Editors around Australia are not likely to respond favourably to potential requests from the Federal Government that they not publish potentially damaging information revealed by WikiLeaks.

As the whistleblower group continues to drip feed thousands of US diplomatic cables, Attorney-General Robert McClelland says the Government's focus is on minimising the fallout of their release.

While Australia has been mentioned in some despatches, the main revelations have included details of the poor reputation Iran's president holds among his peers and evidence that China's commitment to North Korea is wavering badly.

"From my point of view, there is potentially some documentation that relates to national security-sensitive information that could prejudice the national security interests of Australia," Mr McClelland said.

He says media organisations could be asked to refrain from publishing some of the WikiLeaks material.

"There has been an information protocol, I think it's fair to say, among Australian media that if they receive representations from national security or law enforcement authorities that material could be prejudicial, that they will often refrain from publishing the material.

"And certainly it may well be that that sort of discussion might need to take place."

But the editor of news.com.au, David Penberthy, says such a move may not go down well with media outlets.

"I think a lot of editors would respond pretty unfavourably to the request from the Attorney-General to somehow consider unilaterally desisting from publishing any of this material," he said.

"I think that some of the material... a lot of that is stuff which is wholly in the public interest."

Penberthy says information about ministers' behavioural issues to that about foreign affairs could be beneficial in the public domain.

"The fact that it appears China is wising up to what a dysfunctional dystopia North Korea is is something which, shining a light on that pretty heartening little titbit of information could actually make the world a better place rather than a worse place," he said.

But Penberthy says if Mr McClelland did make a request of a media organisation it would likely be looked at on its merits.

"No-one in this country is going to gleefully report on something which is a wholly logistical matter which could imperil the lives of Australian soldiers, men and women serving overseas in a war effort which enjoys bipartisan support," he said.

Diplomatic insights

The cables released by WikiLeaks range from accusations of spying on UN officials to lavish parties thrown by foreign diplomats.

The description of Kazakhstan's prime minister, Karim Massimov, night-clubbing in Astana is among those releases which offers a strange insight into diplomatic life.

"The dance floor holds approximately 100 people and at the time perhaps 50 patrons were dancing. However Massimov himself chose to dance on an empty stage above the dance floor," the document said.

"His companions quickly tired but Massimov remained, dancing alone and animatedly on the stage for another 15 to 20 minutes."

According to another cable, his defence minister, Daniyal Akhmetovk is a self-proclaimed workaholic who: "Appears to enjoy loosening up in the tried and true 'homo sovieticus' style - that is, drinking oneself into a stupor."

The country's leaders, diplomat Steven Fagin apparently wrote in a cable, "are able to indulge in their hobbies on a grand scale, whether flying Elton John to Kazakhstan for a concert or trading domestic property for a palace in the United Arab Emirates."

The cables also describe Britain's Prince Andrew as "rude" and "cocky", while France's president Nicolas Sarkozy is "hyper-active and media-savvy" unlike Argentina's president, whose nerves are a concern for the US secretary of state.