Harvard Political Review (Arjun Bhattarai): Tell us a little bit about the National Whistleblower Center, which you lead.
Siri Nelson: The National Whistleblower Center is the only whistleblower organization that operates worldwide and protects and advocates for whistleblowers as our sole mission. We started in the United States, but we have been working globally for the past few years. Right now, our focus is on making sure that whistleblowers who go to the Securities and Exchange Commission are protected, no matter how they communicate with the Commission and what they report.
HPR: Thank you so much for that overview. NWC began in 1988, which sounds relatively recent given the impact of whistleblowing in general. What was the condition of whistleblowing before and since NWC’s founding?
Nelson: That’s a great question. One of the things we’re the proudest about here at NWC is the fact that we’ve been able to instigate a culture shift. When the National Whistleblower Center was founded, whistleblowers were referred to as rats and snitches. They were shunned and looked down upon.
Remnants of this still exist, but due to our advocacy and resultant progress in Congress, with the Dodd-Frank Act and other whistleblower protections, we have seen the culture change. Whistleblowers are now viewed as courageous, heroic, warriors for justice and speakers of truth.
HPR: There has also been a significant change in the way that information is conveyed since 1988. How has this evolving...
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