Regulators of Last Resort
Whistleblowers, the Limits of the Law and the Power of Partnerships

Reveals the critical - yet often unseen - role that allies play in assisting public whistleblowers bring disclosures to light.

Kate Kenny (Author)

9781009425612, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 12 December 2024

266 pages
23 x 15.2 x 1.5 cm, 0.396 kg

'Frankly, this is the book on whistleblowing that I wish I had written. Professor Kenny gets to the heart of the issues at play by examining how and why organisations and those who work for them go after some (but not all) whistleblowers with such vengeance even when those whistleblowers are a) just doing their jobs and b) right to raise the alarm. It is the precarious fault line between information control and democratic accountability whistleblowers are forced to work. Their capacity to make a difference and survive the process depends on them understanding how power works, and accessing the strategic support they need. It is the reason I do the work I do and I hope more will do in future.' Anna Myers, Executive Director, WIN

How do public whistleblowers prevail despite employers' attempts to silence them? Whistleblowing is essential for raising awareness of extreme wrongdoing within organizations yet, despite changing laws designed to offer more protection, workers exposed for public disclosures frequently find themselves the targets of extreme retaliation. Featuring high-profile cases from Amazon, Facebook and Theranos, Kate Kenny reveals the critical - and often unseen - role that skilled allies play in supporting whistleblowers when official channels fail. Novel and sophisticated means of silencing require new strategies for whistleblowing – and supportive partners are key. In this new era of whistleblowing, oppressive lawfare is used against truth-telling workers, and official channels can be weaponized. Yet powerful employers can still make mistakes. Regulators of Last Resort shows how aggressive reprisals can yield surprising advantages for dissenters. Working in partnership with advocates, public whistleblowers can find strategies to survive, persist and bring their disclosures to light.

Prologue
1. When official channels fail whistleblowers
2. Lawfare tactics and legal advice at Theranos
3. Whistleblowing sub-cultures at Amazon
4. The Facebook whistleblower and the journalist
5. Advocates and the immigration detention centre
6. Collective bricolage.

Subject Areas: Business ethics & social responsibility [KJG]