A writer’s group released a report showing that the U.S. government is doing a poor job of protecting whistleblowers who reveal wrongdoing to the public. Those such as Edward Snowden working for federal contractors were not protected, and the federal government does not consider it whistleblowing to provide information to the press. PEN America released the report Secret Sources: Whistleblowers, National Security, and Free Expression at a panel discussion November 10 in Washington, D.C. (Politico, November 10, 2015, by Josh Gerstein)
The 57 laws on whistleblowing fail to protect those challenging government actions on constitutional or ethical grounds. Internal reporting systems are weak; whistleblowers endure retaliation including arrests and loss of jobs; disputes do not reach the courts; and those retaliating against whistleblowers are not held accountable. (PEN America, November 9, 2015, press release)