As organizations embrace ESG and look to be part of the solution for some of the world鈥檚 most wicked problems, as well as organizational ones, it is important to consider the role that whistleblowing plays in holding organizations to account and protecting society. Studies show that whistleblowers expose more fraud than internal audit and law enforcement combined. In addition, they expose issues that affect our everyday wellbeing, like the Volkswagen emissions scandal and issues with Boeing aircraft. It is because of this that nations around the world are enshrining whistleblower protection into law, and yet, time after time we see whistleblowers鈥� lives ruined for speaking up and doing the right thing.
My research focuses on how we can protect whistleblowers and enable this channel of speaking up that does so much good for society. When reprisals are beyond the reach of the law (think ostracization, isolation and stigma), how can we make sure that whistleblowers are actually protected and don鈥檛 suffer for their disclosures.
My most recent project with a colleague in the UK is looking at how the media portrays whistleblowers. The media is where whistleblowers go when no one else will listen, often as a last resort, but they have a huge impact on public perceptions.听 Analyzing the top 4 newspapers by circulation (Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times) in the year before, during and after Edward Snowden鈥檚 famous disclosures, we look to see how whistleblowers are presented and described. The preliminary results are not great news for whistleblowers but do hold some hope for things getting better. We see whistleblowing as a practice described very positively with quotes like
鈥淲histleblowers are a very important part of government operations. By exposing waste, fraud and abuse, they work to keep government honest and efficient. And for their loyalty, they are often penalized 鈥� they get fired, demoted and harassed. ... Government employers should not be allowed to cover up their misdeeds by creating such a hostile environment.鈥� 鈥� Washington Post
However, when the story focuses on whistleblowers themselves, there are much more negative descriptions, like this description of Snowden:
鈥淲ith wire glasses, short, dark hair and a thin goatee, he maintains an academic look. Yet he never completed his coursework at a community college in Maryland, only later obtaining his GED 鈥� an unusually light education for someone who would advance in the intelligence ranks鈥� 鈥� Washington Post
Or this quote about a telecom whistleblower:
鈥淢enacing calls to his home and his mother鈥檚 nearby prompted him to buy a handgun, which he straps to his ankle whenever he goes out. Always on edge, he drew the gun in February on a salesman who tried to approach his house to offer cleaning goods.鈥� 鈥� New York Times
Statements like these might make for colorful imagery or an interesting read, but the underlying affect is that we start to see whistleblowers as untrustworthy or tainted, which can lead to the informal reprisals that many whistleblowers suffer. If we truly value the benefits that whistleblowers provide for society, as we indicate we do when legislation is passed, then we need to make sure that support is widespread in our society as well, including media, advocacy groups, lawyers and other external agents that are involved in the whistleblowing process.
This ongoing research is made possible through a CESR Research Fellowship Grant in 2023. We are grateful to CESR's generous supporters for making this possible.