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WHISTLEBLOWING

The motivations, the reform, the reaction

Thesis

Though whistleblowing has been stigmatized as a tool to incite social unrest and distrust, its ability to empower people’s decision making towards the organizations, policies, and movements they support instills a sense of individual efficacy in political and corporate structures during a time of declining pluralistic influence by individuals on big government and corporations.

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Image Credits: ©olly on Adobe stock

Definition

an individual who, without authorization, reveals private or classified information about an organization, usually related to wrongdoing or misconduct. 

Kleinig, John. “Whistleblower.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/topic/whistleblower. 

Background

Although many associate the term “Whistleblower” with someone who exposes illegal activity, few people actually know of how simplistic the term ceased to be. In the early nineteenth century, the term was used to simply identify a person who enjoyed blowing a whistle for mere fun. However, around the mid-nineteenth century, the world of sports began to peak and the term took on a new meaning for referees. The term began to be used as a derogatory way to poke fun at a referee of a sporting contest who repetitively blew the whistle “in an administration of rules and judgment” (“'Whistleblower': A History.”). Although this definition would hold for decades, as the nineteenth century came to a close, the term was taken and reapplied to society in a “more metaphorical fashion” especially in cases of relational and political controversies. For example,  if a person were to expose the fact their friend was having an affair, they would be blowing the whistle on the said friend. It was only after these instances where the term finally began to materialize and take on its modern-day form of referencing those who expose unprofessional conduct within society.

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On the other hand, the modern whistleblowing concept itself has existed for generations. Dating back to seventh century Medieval England, the “Qui tam'' phrase which translates over to ‘he who prosecutes for himself as well as for the king’ (“The History Of Whistleblowing in America”) was heavily publicized throughout society as it encouraged citizens to reveal any knowledge of malpractice on behalf of the king. Similarly in 695, in the declaration of King Wihtred, it demanded that ‘if a freeman works during the sabbath, he shall forfeit his profits, and the man who informs against him shall have half the fine, and the profits of his labor’ thus encouraging the idea of exposing an illegal activity against one’s legislation. 

 

Works Cited:

“'Whistleblower': A History.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/whistle-blower-blow-the-whistle-word-origins#:~:text=It%20was%20our%20responsibility%20to,someone%20who%20blows%20a%20whistle.&text=If%20you%20see%20someone%20doing,number%20of%20other%20unappetizing%20words.

“The History Of Whistleblowing in America.” Whistleblowers International, 16 Nov. 2016, www.whistleblowersinternational.com/what-is-whistleblowing/history/.  

Research Goal

Since the early implementation of various forms of government across the world, the concept of whistleblowing has coexisted as a means to counter rising political and corporate corruption. Subsequently, whistleblowing has empowered millions of citizens across the world to make educational decisions based on the knowledge received. Despite coherently unifying people around the globe, the practice of whistleblowing against the government is often regarded as controversial due to government disapproval.  

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With this project, our goal was to dive into the topic of whistleblowing and clarify our existing opinions. We wanted to discover the truth as to why the act is so stigmatized. We pondered questions such as, Why is whistleblowing so persecuted? Why are so many governments treating whistleblowers in such a bad manner? Why does the word have such a negative connotation?

ARTICLES

Source: Wix Media

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