Blog Post #10 - Whistleblowers EOTO Response

After listening to my peers' presentation, I learned a few things about whistleblowers. A whistleblower is a person who reveals information about an organization that is deemed illegal, fraudulent, or immoral. Whistleblowers are extremely important in a society, without them a lot of information we now know would never have been found. A great example of a whistleblower is Julian Assange. Mr. Assange leaked a video of the U.S. military shooting innocent civilians and reporters. Without whistleblowers, officials in power could do what they want with no fear of retribution.

Whistleblowers also help out the journalism industry. It is found that whistleblowers and journalists have a complementary relationship. Without journalists, whistleblowers would not have anyone to publicize their information and without whistleblowers, journalists would not have many of the intriguing articles they have today. 

One famous whistleblower is a woman by the name of Karen Silkwood. In 1974, she discovered an incredible amount of health code violations at the Kerr-McGee nuclear power plant in Oklahoma. Among these health violations, there were high levels of nuclear contamination. When testing herself, she found that her body contained 400 times the legal limit of plutonium contamination. Without Karen Silkwood, this company might’ve continued to thrive in worsened conditions. 

Another famous whistleblower is John Kophinski. In 2009, Mr. Kophinski discovered that the company Pfizer was engaging in the off-label marketing of Bextra. Bextra is a painkiller and it was being sold in dangerous doses for unapproved and unsafe uses. This became the second largest healthcare fraud settlement to date. Who knows what kind of damage this company could’ve done without the bravery of John Kophiniski. 

There are serious risks that come with whistleblowing. Some include but are not limited to, unemployment, harassment, and ruined reputations. However, there are laws that protect whistleblowers. OSHA has more than twenty laws protecting whistleblowers. one of which prohibits retaliation against employees who complain about unsafe or unhealthful conditions or exercise other rights under the Act.