People can blow the whistle on improper conduct by making that conduct public.
The Whistleblowers Protection Act of 2001 protects whistleblowers who disclose the improper conduct of public bodies and public officials. Whistleblowers may become privy to the improper conduct of a public body or public officials by being employed by the body or the official. The whistleblower disapproves of the improper conduct he witnesses and may bring the improper conduct to the public's attention by speaking out publicly.
Traditional Methods
In the past, whistleblowers have employed the traditional media of whistleblowing, such as public speeches, letters of support or opposition, petitions, signed public statements, newspapers and leaflets. A whistleblowing technique that Ralph Nader employed was to write a book. Nader's book, "Unsafe at Any Speed," exposed automobile safety problems to the general public. Another example of whistleblowing was Daniel Ellsberg's making government documents, later known as the Pentagon Papers, public. In both instances, the whistleblowers faced consequences for their actions. General Motors put Nader under surveillance and tried to undermine his credibility while Ellsberg was slapped with 12 felony charges.
Government Accountability Project
The advent of the Internet has helped people to employ covert techniques of whistle blowing. With the anonymity the Internet offers, whistleblowers and potential whistleblowers can attempt to avoid some of the backlash that they would receive if they were to speak out in a more traditional manner. The Government Accountability Project (GAP) states that its mission is to promote corporate and government accountability by protecting whistleblowers, advancing occupational free speech and empowering citizen activists. The GAP attempts to accomplish this mission by allowing potential whistleblowers to submit issues of public concern through the GAP website. Attorneys of the GAP review the potential whistleblower's case. The GAP has taken on cases in the areas of corporate and financial accountability, the environment, food integrity, government employees, homeland security and human rights, international reform, legislation and public health.
Websites
The fact that just about anyone can create a website on the Internet comes into play when people want to blow the whistle on the improper conduct they have witnessed. Whistleblowers create their own websites to recount the circumstances surrounding their cases. They may also include corroborating information consisting of media accounts, copies of letters, reports and other documents. WikiLeaks is a website where anonymous whistleblowers can leak information. This nonprofit media organization boasts that it publishes material of ethical, political and historical significance while keeping the identity of its sources anonymous, thus providing a universal way to reveal suppressed and censored injustices.
