Whistleblowers: meaning, definitions and examples
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whistleblowers
[ ˈwɪslˌbloʊ.ər ]
in journalism
Whistleblowers are individuals who expose illegal or unethical activities within an organization, often at great personal risk.
Synonyms
informant, whistle-blower, whistleblower
Examples of usage
- Whistleblowers play a crucial role in holding powerful institutions accountable.
- Edward Snowden is a well-known whistleblower who leaked classified information about government surveillance programs.
legal
Whistleblowers are protected by laws in many countries to encourage reporting of misconduct without fear of retaliation.
Synonyms
informant, tipster, whistleblower
Examples of usage
- The company had a policy in place to support whistleblowers who came forward with concerns.
- Whistleblowers can sometimes receive financial rewards for reporting wrongdoing.
Translations
Translations of the word "whistleblowers" in other languages:
🇵🇹 denunciantes
🇮🇳 व्हिसलब्लोअर
🇩🇪 Whistleblower
- Hinweisgeber
- Informant
🇮🇩 pelapor pelanggaran
🇺🇦 інформатори
🇵🇱 sygnaliści
🇯🇵 内部告発者
🇫🇷 lanceurs d'alerte
🇪🇸 denunciantes
🇹🇷 ihbarcılar
🇰🇷 내부 고발자
🇸🇦 المبلغون عن المخالفات
🇨🇿 whistlebloweři
🇸🇰 whistlebloweri
🇨🇳 告密者
🇸🇮 žvižgači
🇮🇸 uppljóstrarar
🇰🇿 парақорлық туралы хабарлаушылар
🇬🇪 ვიზუალები
🇦🇿 məlumat verənlər
🇲🇽 denunciantes
Word origin
The term 'whistleblower' originated from the practice of police officers blowing their whistles to alert others of a crime or danger. It gained prominence in the 1970s during the Watergate scandal, where informants played a crucial role in exposing government corruption. Since then, whistleblowers have become an integral part of transparency and accountability efforts in various fields.