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Journalists are essential actors in the whistleblowing ecosystem, serving as conduits between whistleblowers and the public. By amplifying whistleblowers' revelations, they not only bring attention to systemic wrongdoing but also play a pivotal role in holding institutions accountable. Investigative journalists, in particular, often collaborate closely with whistleblowers, ensuring that their stories are told responsibly while protecting their identities and mitigating the risks they face. However, journalists also face significant challenges, such as legal threats, political pressure, and the increasing need to navigate disinformation. Their role is not just to report but also to engage critically with the broader ecosystem. In many cases, the exposure provided by journalists is what transforms isolated acts of courage into catalysts for systemic reform. In this episode of the third season of “Whistleblowing Now and Then”, titled “The Ecosystem Behind the Courage”, host Anna Myers sits down with Matthew Caruana Galizia, Director of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation. Anna Myers is the Executive Director of the Whistleblowing International Network (WIN). To learn more about WIN, visit the website: https://whistleblowingnetwork.org/Home  Dr Vigjilenca Abazi is the Executive Director of the European Whistleblowing Institute (EWI). To learn more about EWI, visit the website: https://www.ewi.legal/. The third season of “Whistleblowing Now and Then” is part of Project BRIGHT (101143234), co-funded by the European Commission.  Support the show

Lawyers are indispensable in this ecosystem, translating the legal protections enshrined in the EU Whistleblower Protection Directive into actionable strategies for whistleblowers. They navigate the legal complexities, ensure confidentiality, and advocate for their clients' rights. The collaboration between lawyers, civil society organizations, and trade unions is vital in creating a robust defense for whistleblowers. However, lawyers also face ethical dilemmas and practical challenges, particularly in high-profile cases. In this episode of the third season of “Whistleblowing Now and Then”, titled “The Ecosystem Behind the Courage”, host Vigjilenca Abazi sits down with Nathalie de Montigny, the lawyer who successfully defended a parliamentary assistant reporting a case of harassment involving a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). Dr Vigjilenca Abazi is the Executive Director of the European Whistleblowing Institute (EWI). To learn more about EWI, visit the website: https://www.ewi.legal/. Anna Myers is the Executive Director of the Whistleblowing International Network (WIN). To learn more about WIN, visit the website: https://whistleblowingnetwork.org/Home  The third season of “Whistleblowing Now and Then” is part of Project BRIGHT (101143234), co-funded by the European Commission.  Support the show

Civil society organizations play a crucial role in bridging the gap between whistleblowers and formal institutions. They provide essential support, such as legal assistance, advocacy, and psychological care, which national authorities may not be equipped to offer. These organizations often act as intermediaries, helping whistleblowers navigate the complexities of legal and bureaucratic systems. However, civil society organizations face their own challenges, such as maintaining independence and securing sufficient resources, which can impact their ability to effectively support whistleblowers. In this episode of the third season of “Whistleblowing Now and Then”, titled “The Ecosystem Behind the Courage”, host Anna Myers sits down with Elodie Nace, General Delegate at France’s Maison des Lanceurs d’Alerte (Whistleblower’s House).  Anna Myers is the Executive Director of the Whistleblowing International Network (WIN). To learn more about WIN, visit the website: https://whistleblowingnetwork.org/Home  Dr Vigjilenca Abazi is the Executive Director of the European Whistleblowing Institute (EWI). To learn more about EWI, visit the website: https://www.ewi.legal/. The third season of “Whistleblowing Now and Then” is part of Project BRIGHT (101143234), co-funded by the European Commission. Support the show

Academics contribute to the foundation upon which all the different practices of whistleblowing are built. Through research and teaching, they shape the discourse on whistleblowing, influence policy, and educate future professionals. The interdisciplinary nature of whistleblowing, encompassing law, ethics, sociology, and governance, means that academic input is crucial in understanding and improving the mechanisms that protect whistleblowers. In the EU context, where workers' rights are closely linked to whistleblowing protections, academic research and teaching play a pivotal role in shaping how these issues are addressed in both policy and practice. In this episode of the third season of “Whistleblowing Now and Then”, titled “The Ecosystem Behind the Courage”, host Vigjilenca Abazi sits down with Merijn Chamon, Professor of EU Law at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Visiting Professor at College of Europe.  Dr Vigjilenca Abazi is the Executive Director of the European Whistleblowing Institute (EWI). To learn more about EWI, visit the website: https://www.ewi.legal/. Anna Myers is the Executive Director of the Whistleblowing International Network (WIN). To learn more about WIN, visit the website: https://whistleblowingnetwork.org/Home  The third season of “Whistleblowing Now and Then” is part of Project BRIGHT (101143234), co-funded by the European Commission.  Support the show

Trade unions represent a layer of protection for whistleblowers, particularly within the workplace. As collective representatives of workers, they have the power to negotiate whistleblower protection clauses in collective agreements and provide a supportive environment for employees who choose to speak out. Trade unions work closely with both lawyers and civil society organizations to ensure that whistleblowers are not isolated in their fight. Yet, they must balance this role with their broader responsibilities to all members, which can sometimes lead to conflicts of interest or diluted advocacy for individual whistleblowers. In this episode of the third season of “Whistleblowing Now and Then”, titled “The Ecosystem Behind the Courage”, host Anna Myers sits down with Martin Jefflen, International Secretary at  Unionen, Sweden's largest trade union, and former President of Eurocadres (Council of European Professional and Managerial Staff).  Anna Myers is the Executive Director of the Whistleblowing International Network (WIN). To learn more about WIN, visit the website: https://whistleblowingnetwork.org/Home  Dr Vigjilenca Abazi is the Executive Director of the European Whistleblowing Institute (EWI). To learn more about EWI, visit the website: https://www.ewi.legal/. The third season of “Whistleblowing Now and Then” is part of Project BRIGHT (101143234), co-funded by the European Commission.  Support the show

National authorities are often the first point of contact for whistleblowers within formal structures. These authorities are tasked with ensuring that reports of misconduct are handled appropriately and that whistleblowers are protected from retaliation. However, their effectiveness can be influenced by various factors, including political pressures, resource constraints, and their ability to collaborate with other key actors. In this episode of the third season of “Whistleblowing Now and Then”, titled “The Ecosystem Behind the Courage”, host Vigjilenca Abazi sits down with Zuzana Dlugosova, President of Slovakia’s Whistleblower Protection Office (WPO) and of the Network of European Integrity and Whistleblowing Authorities (NEIWA).  This conversation was recorded before Slovakia’s Government decision to abolish the WPO. Dr Vigjilenca Abazi is the Executive Director of the European Whistleblowing Institute (EWI). To learn more about EWI, visit the website: https://www.ewi.legal/. Anna Myers is the Executive Director of the Whistleblowing International Network (WIN). To learn more about WIN, visit the website: https://whistleblowingnetwork.org/Home  The third season of “Whistleblowing Now and Then” is part of Project BRIGHT (101143234), co-funded by the European Commission.  Support the show

Whistleblowing is often portrayed as the solitary act of a courageous individual standing up against wrongdoing. This narrative, while compelling, oversimplifies the reality of whistleblowing, which is deeply embedded in a broader ecosystem. This ecosystem includes a network of actors - national authorities, civil society organizations, lawyers, trade unions, and academics- each with a distinct yet interconnected role. These actors collectively shape the whistleblowing environment, either facilitating or hindering whistleblowers’ efforts to speak up. In the third season of “Whistleblowing Now and Then”, titled “The Ecosystem Behind the Courage”, hosts Vigjilenca Abazi and Anna Myers delve into the complexities of this ecosystem. Our focus is on unpacking the roles and interactions of these key actors within the EU Whistleblower Directive and more broadly. We aim to understand how each actor contributes to or detracts from the effectiveness of whistleblowing as a tool for accountability and transparency. By raising critical questions about the responsibilities and challenges each actor faces, we aim to articulate the collective responsibility we all share in supporting those who dare to speak out. Now in its third season, “Whistleblowing Now and Then” is a podcast exploring the most important issues of the day for whistleblowing, featuring interviews with experts, whistleblowers, and advocates. It is a joint project of the Whistleblowing International Network and the European Whistleblowing Institute.  Dr Vigjilenca Abazi is the Executive Director of the European Whistleblowing Institute (EWI). To learn more about EWI, visit the website: https://www.ewi.legal/. Anna Myers is the Executive Director of the Whistleblowing International Network (WIN). To learn more about WIN, visit the website: https://whistleblowingnetwork.org/Home  The third season of “Whistleblowing Now and Then” is part of Project BRIGHT (101143234), co-funded by the European Commission.  Support the show

Welcome to a special series of the Whistleblowing Now and Then podcast, called: The Public Interest and National Security Whistleblowing: Looking Back, Thinking Forward. This 3-part series is a collaboration between Whistleblowing International Network and Kaeten Mistry, Associate Professor of History at the University of East Anglia, and co-author of the book Whistleblowing Nation: The History of National Security Disclosures and Cult of State Secrecy. This week’s episode looks at Europe and Latin America. Events in the UK and the US often dominate the agenda when it comes to secrecy and whistleblowing, but the debates and traditions outside the Anglosphere are a crucial part of the discussion. Today we explore these different secrecy cultures and the indigenous roots of concepts and civil society action. And we grapple with the role of historical memory and the legacy of authoritarian regimes. To unpack this, we sit down with two leading experts on whistleblowing in Europe and Latin America. Bruno Galizzi, co-founder of the European Whistleblowing Institute, and Jean-Philippe Foegle, a jurist who was instrumental in drafting and passing the new French whistleblower law, which was adopted in March of 2022. Additional Reading: Le Monde – Lanceurs d'alerte, histoire d'un concept A podcast by the prominent french newspaper Le Monde about the history of whistleblowers in the French context, and how the term “lanceur d'alerte” was coined. Conseil d'Etat – Les droit d'alerte : signaler, traiter, protéger A landmark report by the French council of state on whistleblowers, which inspired the 2016 “Sapin 2” law and contributed to the legitimization of whistleblowers in France. Lanceur d'alerte :entretien avec Francis Chateauraynaud An interview with Francis Chateauraynaud, the sociologist who coined the notion of 'lanceur d'alerte' in the 90's. Support the show

Welcome to a special series of the Whistleblowing Now and Then podcast, called: The Public Interest and National Security Whistleblowing: Looking Back, Thinking Forward. This 3-part series is a collaboration between Whistleblowing International Network and Kaeten Mistry, Associate Professor of History at the University of East Anglia, and co-author of the book Whistleblowing Nation: The History of National Security Disclosures and Cult of State Secrecy. This week’s episode looks at the United States. A nation founded on the principles of free speech and open government, is today home to the largest state secrecy regime in human history. A country that does not permit national security officials making public interest disclosures, has nonetheless produced some of the most famous cases of national security whistleblowing that have made history such as Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning, and Daniel Ellsberg. Such cases have generated widespread debate about security and liberty, secrecy, and transparency, in the U.S. and internationally. Yet while public interest disclosures are commonly seen as whistleblowing in the public sphere, they are deemed to be “unauthorized disclosures” by the US government.  To unpack this, we sit down with two leading experts of whistleblowing and secrecy in the United States. Tom Devine, Legal Director at the Government Accountability Project and Sam Lebovic, Associate Professor of History at George Mason University, author of the prize-winning book Free Speech and Unfree News.     Additional Reading Citizenfour (2014)   A documentary concerning Edward Snowden and the NSA surveillance program.   National Bird (2016)   A documentary following 3 whistleblowers including Daniel Hale who was a former National Security Agency (NSA) intelligence analyst who sent classified information about drone warfare to the press.   United States v. Reality Winner (2021)   A documentary exploring story of 25-year-old NSA contractor Reality Winner who disclosed a document about Russian election interference to the media and became a target of the Trump administration.   TOP SECRET: Our Classified Documents System Is [Redacted] | The Problem With Jon Stewart Podcast Jon Stewart and Matt Connelly discuss the U.S. classification system and system of secrecy.   Whistleblowing and the Press  Panel   The keynote panel on ‘Whistleblowing and the Press’ at the conference Exposing Secrets: The Past, Present & Future of US National Security Whistleblowing and Government Secrecy, featured US intelligence community whistleblowers, Edward Snowden and John Kiriakou, and The Guardian journalist Ewen MacAskill, in conversation with Kaeten Mistry.    The Espionage Act Has Been Abused — But Not in Trump’s Case | Politico  Opinion piece by Jameel Jaffer, Executive Director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, on the Espionage Act and the need for reform.  Support the show

Welcome to a special series of the Whistleblowing Now and Then podcast, called: The Public Interest and National Security Whistleblowing: Looking Back, Thinking Forward. This 3-part series is a collaboration between Whistleblowing International Network and Kaeten Mistry, Associate Professor of History at the University of East Anglia, and co-author of the book Whistleblowing Nation: The History of National Security Disclosures and Cult of State Secrecy. The podcasts will consider how secrecy and liberty, and security and openness became competing concepts within democratic societies. We’ll examine these questions within and across national and regional boundaries, looking at Europe, North America, and South America. We’ll delve into issues relating to the United States, UK, Spain, France, Argentina, and Chile, among others. Today’s episode is entitled, “Secrets: A Very British Affair.” We speak to Martin Bright, Editor-at-Large at Index on Censorship, and Maurice Frankel, Director at Campaign for Freedom of Information, about public interest whistleblowing, government transparency, and state secrecy in the United Kingdom. Additional Reading: In addition to the podcast series, we share resources supporting those working on issues relating to whistleblowing, the public interest, and strengthening civil society organisations. Below are some resources related to Episode 1. Briefing on the National Security Bill - Protect This briefing (2022) outlines the concerns of Protect, the UK’s whistleblowing organisation and legal advice centre, about new offences in the new National Security Bill that may criminalise whistleblowing where it involves disclosures to foreign regulators and journalists. Introducing a public interest disclosure defence - Matrix and Mishcon de Reya LLP This briefing paper by lawyers from Matrix and Mishcon de Reya, sets out the basis for the introduction of a public interest disclosure defence for breaches of the Official Secrets Acts (“OSAs”) or any replacement Espionage Act. When We Speak (2022) 'When We Speak', directed by Tas Brooker, follows 3 whistleblowers: Katherine Gunn, Rose McGowan, and Helen Evans. By cutting between these stories, Brooker highlights their common threads, abuses of power, and exploited vulnerabilities. Crises of conscience, painful examinations of where one’s loyalties lie. We hear the motivation behind the decision to blow the whistle, and we see its dramatic fallout.  The film offers a human perspective, on what can often be quite an abstract discussion. You can listen back to the Whistleblowing Now and Then episode with Director Tas Brooker here. Official Secrets (2019) Official Secrets is a film based on the case of whistleblower Katharine Gun who worked as a linguist at the UK’s government communication headquarters (GCHQ). In 2003, she intercepted an email from the US National Security Agency - an email asking GCHQ to assist the US in their efforts to legitimise a war on Iraq. She made a copy of the memo – given anonymously to a journalist at the Observer – as she believed revealing the proposed bugging and blackmail tactics Support the show

On this week's episode WIN's Communications Officer, Verity Loughlin is joined by Tas Brooker - the director of the upcoming whistleblowing documentary 'When We Speak'. Tas has been working as a producer across Film and TV for over 15 years. Her work has spanned everything from music, film, and cars to hard-hitting documentaries such as Channel 4's Dispatches, and the BBC's Panorama. In 2016 Tas co-founded the production company, Wiser Films, with Jim Wiseman.   'When We Speak' follows 3  whistleblowers; Katherine Gunn, Rose McGowan, and Helen Evans. By cutting between these stories, Brooker highlights their common threads,  abuses of power, and exploited vulnerabilities. Crises of conscience, painful examinations of where one’s loyalties lie. We hear the motivation behind the decision to whistleblow, and we see its dramatic fallout.  Verity and Tas discuss the process of gaining trust and working with whistleblowers to tell their stories, the personal cost these women faced not only professionally but financially for speaking out as well as the role journalists play in handling whistleblower stories.  Support the show

To celebrate World Whistleblower Day 2022, Anna Myers interviews Vladimir Radomirović and Dragana Matović the founders of whistleblowing platform Pištaljka. They discuss how and why they decided to set up Pištaljka, challenges they experienced along the way and the important relationship between whistleblowers and journalists.  Support the show

In advance of the inauguration of Joe Biden, Vigjilenca Abazi interviews Samantha Feinstein, Staff Attorney and Deputy Director of the International Program at Government Accountability Project. They discuss Samantha's work and recommendations for the incoming administration. Plus Anna Meyers reflects on the podcast's first year.  Support the show

How has COVID-19 impacted whistleblowing? Vigjilenca Abazi interviews Tom Devine, Legal Director at the Government Accountability Project. The Government Accountability Project's mission is to promote corporate and government accountability by protecting whistleblowers, advancing occupational free speech, and empowering citizen activists. Support the show

How has COVID-19 impacted whistleblowing? Vigjilenca Abazi interviews Marcin Waszak, Senior Specialist at the Stefan Batory Foundation. The mission of the Stefan Batory Foundation is to build an open, democratic society in Poland and in Central and Eastern Europe. Support the show