In modern times, it seems as though there is a rebellion brewing inside the heart of modern journalism through a powerful tactic called whistleblowing. The spring of 2024 has so far seen major traditional media outlets such as The New York Times and National Public Radio undergo internal conflict between the company’s employers and employees. It seems that now more so than ever, journalists are taking the skills they have been taught and using them against their employers through whistleblowing.
In a new era of how we receive our media, generational and cultural changes have advocated for a more activist approach in journalism, where telling the truth can have a much deeper meaning. These influences together have increased the outcome making it much more likely for internal whistleblowing to continue in the future.
Tom Rosenstiel, the co-author of “The Elements of Journalism, believes the profession itself attracts people who see themselves as morally obligated truth-tellers. Rosenstiel stated that this moral obligation can be used as a perspective amongst journalists to make an organization better by criticizing it.
Recently, NBC chose to back out of hiring RNC Chief Ronna McDaniel following a strong revolt from the company’s employees. An editor for NPR recently quit after personally stating his opinion on NPR’s tolerance of diverse perspectives. It is clear that more and more, journalists are using their powers to make their ideas heard, no matter what a corporation may think.
Protests within journalism are not uncommon. In the 1970s, female journalists sued The New York Times and the Associated Press due to gender discrimination in the workplace. Aside from an activist mindset from journalists, intense cultural events have also shifted the ideas of media outlets and how they approach certain topics.
In 2020, the death of George Floyd forced many major media outlets to overlook how they view racial issues topics and forced them to realize the lack of diversity within companies.
