What happens when you whistleblow to the media?

December 11, 2016 7:42 AM

I'm interested in contacting the media regarding an impactful issue that's something of a wide-reaching hot button. The issue has impacted myself and others, and impacts many, many more downstream. There are likely issues of pork barrel-y politics, but I don't know for sure. The issue is definitely not related to inter/national security, spying, weapons, etc., but is something of a public safety concern. I have been researching the issue for several months so I believe I have reliable information. What happens if/when I contact the media about this?

I have been discussing the issue with some knowledgeable persons (including legal professionals) and many have suggested contacting local government officials and major news outlets for exposure. I don't think I have reason to fear for my personal safety but do believe this issue should be brought to light. I have a few questions about this:

1. How and where do I begin? Should I try to write an op-ed with the information I've gathered? Or should I contact an editorials board and ask them to investigate?
2. Should I expect any response from the journalist(s) I attempt to contact? If I don't hear back, should I persist? (Also, I see on some newspapers' sites instructions for sending correspondence via tor networks. Is this necessary?)
3. What rights do I have as someone who might expose a contentious issue? What happens to communications that I might send the media?
4. As a non-citizen, legal resident of the country where this is occurring, should I be concerned at all about being involved in this sort of whistleblowing?
5. Anything else I should consider?

I have been involved in some small-scale political campaigns before, and made both friends and enemies that way. I don't think that this will jeopardize my legal status in the country but also would want to tread extremely lightly. However, I do think that this issue deserves some exposure, and has the potential to help many people in the future.

posted by anonymous to Law & Government (7 answers total)

You should definitely NOT write anything yourself if there is even the slightest risk it could have consequences for you personally.

First of all, it may not be deemed to be of public interest. I've borne witness to a scandal involving corruption and more, but the community affected was seen as too small to be of interest by the journalists I contacted.

You could contact journalists who do this type of work regularly. If this is something they will publish, most estimated journalists and editors are willing to go to jail to protect their sources. You must tell them about your legal situation and emphasize your need for protection. Do not use any electronic means of communication beyond the initial "Hi, could we meet for a talk". Direct the journalists to documentation rather than handing it over yourself - point to files to ask for under a FOIA, if your place of residence has such a law, rather than hand over copies of those files.

A completely different route would be if you know some officials and have confidence they are honest and fair. I once had a boss who wrongly used public funding for his personal projects. I contacted an official privately, and they organized an official audit, which led to a small scandal but also a correction of the problem.
posted by mumimor at 8:11 AM on December 11, 2016 [3 favorites]

You don't specify whether you are located in the United States.
posted by bq at 8:45 AM on December 11, 2016 [3 favorites]

What happens if/when I contact the media about this?

Probably nothing.

You're just an anonymous voice, seemingly with zero influence. Instead of being so coy, why not reveal the issue of your concern here? If we knew what you're talking about, we might be able to help.
posted by Rash at 9:33 AM on December 11, 2016 [1 favorite]

Step one is to figure out which journalists are most likely to write a story about the issue you have.
posted by slidell at 10:06 AM on December 11, 2016 [1 favorite]

If it is sufficiently interesting, you could reach out to Pro Publica, who has a protocol for leaking to them.
posted by suelac at 11:31 AM on December 11, 2016 [1 favorite]

Answer varies dramatically based on jurisdiction.
posted by praemunire at 12:15 PM on December 11, 2016

4. As a non-citizen, legal resident of the country where this is occurring, should I be concerned at all about being involved in this sort of whistleblowing?

Yes, you should be seriously concerned. Things can vary a lot depending on what country you are in and what country you are from. If the local media are particularly jingoistic, it might suit them more to pillory you as "ungrateful" than to pursue the actual issue.
posted by Azara at 6:15 PM on December 11, 2016 [1 favorite]