Whistleblowers

 

Keeping the government honest is a job of the public and government honesty is maintained in a significant way thanks to whistleblowers. A whistleblower is a person who reports wrongdoing misconduct, or unethical behavior within a government institution or agency. They serve as watchdogs who reveal corruptions, power abuse, and demand accountability.

Whistleblowers can be considered "a symptom of the breakdown of internal checks and balances on our governments and corporations". There are several negatives to whistleblowing, such as the internal destruction of trust within the government/institutions, interference with decision making within organizations, and can create fear when it comes to wanting to retaliate or speak out. Whistleblowers play a crucial role in maintaining accountability and transparency, which are essential in preventing or halting harm to society. Sometimes whistleblowing results in protection of the environment, the saving of government money and the saving of lives. 

The fear of being punished for whistleblowing is enough to deter people from doing so, but the "Whistleblower Protection Act" (WPA) goes around this. The WPA protects federal employees and applicants for employment who lawfully disclose information they reasonably believes evidences a: violation of law, rule, or regulation; gross mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority, or substantial  and specific danger to public health or safety. Under the WPA, certain federal employees may not take, fail to take, or threaten to take; any personnel action against an employee or applicant for employment because of the protected whistleblowing. Personnel actions can include poor performance review reassignment, demotion, suspension, or termination. The WPA also prohibits personnel action against employees for engaging in actions such as filing an appeal, complaint, or grievance; helping someone else file or testify on their behalf; cooperating with or disclosing information to the Office of Special Counsel or an inspector General; or refusing to obey an unlawful order. 

Source: Group 2: Mediasphere presentation