EOTO-2: Mediasphere- Whistleblowers Blog #9

    

    A whistleblower is "someone who reports waste, fraud, abuse, corruption, or dangers to public health and safety to someone who is in a position to rectify the wrongdoing." Their actions can cause worldwide debates as they emphasize transparency and national security tensions. They play a controversial role in society. They promote transparency by promoting wrongdoing.

    

    On a timeline of U.S. Whistleblowing, the earliest sign of whistleblowing was in 1777; more modern cases occurred in the 1970s. One early case was from 1971 when Daniel Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers during the Vietnam War.  This paper revealed that the United States had expanded war with the bombing of Cambodia and Laos. Ellsberg faced public scrutiny and legal consequences however, he was being transparent. 

  

     A more recent case of whistleblowing was in 2013 when Edward Snowden created the biggest intelligence leak in the National Security Agency’s history. He is known as the most consequential whistleblower. The disclosures made by Snowden uncovered various worldwide surveillance strategies. The case underscored numerous issues, such as the secret utilization of governmental authority, and privacy in the digital era. He believed the public deserved to know how their privacy was being violated. In a note that he left with the first set of documents, stated, “I understand that I will be made to suffer for my actions,” but “I will be satisfied if the federation of secret law, unequal pardon, and irresistible executive powers that rule the world that I love are revealed even for an instant.” He was very transparent and was honest with the public be releasing this. However, now he lives in Russia under asylum. 

   

    Another instance that most of us can all remember was in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic. Whistleblowing was a big thing when doctors and nurses were exposed to the public that there was a lack of ventilators and testing kits as well as hospitals having a lack of preparedness. A particular example was Dr. Ming Lin an Emergency Room Physician in the state of Washington. He posted on social media how hospitals around the world were lacking in resources and how dangerous COVID was in the ER. Dr. Lin spoke out for the public interest however this resulted in him being removed from his job as a physician in the ER. This brought the public and media attention to hospital system failures. And it inspired others in the medical field to speak out despite the potential consequences. 

    Whistleblowers usually aim to defend the public, maintain legal standards, and cultivate transparency, even at the risk of retaliation such as losing their job or facing legal consequences. Whistleblowing is crucial for ensuring that powerful institutions are held accountable, and it can inform about significant changes in policy, law, and public awareness. Whistleblowers can expose corruption or power abuses, but their actions may also risk military operations and reveal sensitive information. Whether an act is seen as heroic or reckless, it often hinges on public understanding, the whistleblower's motives, and the negative impact of their disclosures. Whistleblowers are essential, they bring the truth to light, push for reforms that create safer and more transparent systems. Without whistleblowers, serious problems can stay hidden, allowing injustice and harm to continue without anyone knowing. 

The Progressive Era- Blog Post #7

    Dissent means to publicly disagree with an official opinion, decision, or set of beliefs. Dissenting opinions play a role in the First Amendment. Dissent can make a lot of people uncomfortable, but it is necessary. It’s how we hold power accountable and ensure we’re making informed decisions.

    After researching two websites featuring anti-war voices, I became aware of the power of these voices, despite my prior lack of understanding with these sites. ANTIWAR.COM is dedicated to promoting non-interventionism within U.S. foreign policy. The American Conservative is another anti-war voice, that challenges unchecked power in government and business in support of individual freedoms. These two websites prompted me to wonder why anti-war voices and opinions are not more frequently heard in mainstream media. 

    

A potential reason we are not hearing anti-war voices is that the government is controlling what is distributed on mainstream media. The media lacks interest in advocating against war. As journalists obtain a part of their news information from the government, overly harsh criticism of military actions could influence their relationship. The government is very much anti-war and because the government controls the media, they block out most of the anti-war content. 

    The United States of America is pro-war, therefore they desire to keep these sites hidden to try and protect the country's reputation. If Americans happened to see more of these anti-war initiatives, it would be harder to get them to understand the purpose of war. 

   

A reason that these websites and ideas are being hidden from us is because war generates money and money is good for our economy so the government is all about war.  It also enhances the economic power and naturally, a country that wins a war can enhance its trade standing with other nations. These are a few of the crucial facets that nations consider when making the decision to declare war, which they view as beneficial.     

    My awareness has increased due to the experience of investigating for these antiwar platforms. While the First Amendment grants us the right to speak, it also grants us the right to listen and to pursue viewpoints that confront us. It is essential, even though it’s not always easy and can be uncomfortable at times. We should be more aware of these platforms since they are not willingly talked about in the media. 

EOTO 1 Reaction Post- Blog Post #6

During today’s lesson, I heard presentations from my HPU colleagues about the various types of communication that society has depended on over the last few hundred years. It was intriguing to learn the progress and history of the rise of communication and technology.  I found it fascinating how we transitioned from the telegram and the printing press, fundamental forms of communication, to more strategic and complex tools such as Google and the television. 

Some of my favorite topics are explained below.

Newspapers- It took a long time for newspapers to be what they are today. It all started in 59 BCE in Rome and later expanded and was handwritten before the invention of the printing press. In 1690, the first newspaper was introduced in the American colonies. From there, newspapers progressed and became more accessible in the mid-1800s. Now, newspapers are viewed online a lot of times and it is amazing to see how much this invention has progressed over time.

Television- I found it very interesting to hear about the history of this invention, especially the meaning of "over a distance." The first TV was invented in 1920 for educational purposes. Later, color TV was invented in the 1960's, followed by high-definition and plasma technology TV's. The progression is impressive and televisions today are still changing with newer inventions and vary in size. 

Paper- This was very interesting to me, I love hearing about older inventions, and I did not know how it was made before wood and recycled materials. In the B.C. era, resources such as clay tablets, papyrus, and silk were used. Today, we use paper all the time when viewing textbooks or newspapers. Paper is a very portable option and is used a lot in the Government for signing documents. It led to the rise of poetry and literature. It transformed how people communicated before the rise of communication via the iPhone. 

Carrier Pigeons- I thoroughly enjoyed this topic because it was something I knew very little about. The first use of communication in ancient times in Egypt. The Greeks used these for the Olympic games as well as being used in the Civil War to send messages to those in the front line. It is because of this invention that the radio and later advancements were created. 

Radio- As someone who listens to the radio in my car daily, I was very sad to hear the radio is on a decline as it is being taken over by platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music. Radio has moved from box radios to higher advancements such as in the car or even military communication. I learned that FM is a stronger connection and is easier to tune in rather than AM radio. It makes me think that car radios will not last much longer. But I do wonder, for military communication, if there will soon be an advancement in the radio or another way of communicating on the battlefield will come into effect and be invented.