Digital Whistleblowing Platforms in Journalism

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

   PDF

2. Introduction: The Relevance of Whistleblowing

   • Philip Di Salvo

   Pages 1-7

3. Whistleblowing: The Concept Behind a Process

   • Philip Di Salvo

   Pages 9-61

4. Whistleblowing Platforms

   • Philip Di Salvo

   Pages 63-89

5. A Study into Whistleblowing Platforms

   • Philip Di Salvo

   Pages 91-102

6. A Taxonomy of Whistleblowing Platforms

   • Philip Di Salvo

   Pages 103-136

7. WikiLeaks: An Inspiration, a Reference, a Model?

   • Philip Di Salvo

   Pages 137-153

8. The Boundary Space Between Journalism and Activism

   • Philip Di Salvo

   Pages 155-174

9. The Future of Digital Whistleblowing

   • Philip Di Salvo

   Pages 175-182

10. Back Matter

    Pages 183-188

    PDF

This book analyzes whistleblowing platforms and the adoption of encryption tools in journalism. Whistleblowing platforms are becoming an important phenomenon for journalism in this era and offer safer solutions for communicating with whistleblowers and obtaining leaks. WikiLeaks and the Snowden case have been powerful game changers for today’s journalism, showing the potentials of and needs for encryption for journalistic purposes, together with the perils of surveillance. Whistleblowing platforms are also an interesting example of journalists and hackers coming together to support investigations with new tools and practices. The book introduces this phenomenon and features a qualitative study about whistleblowing platforms and their adoption in the journalistic field.

• Whistleblowing
• Whistleblowing platforms
• Encryption
• Investigative journalism
• Source protection
• Wikileaks
• Chelsea Manning
• Julian Assange

“With each chapter, the reader is provided with an extensive reference list for further reading. I recommend the book to everyone who is new to the topic of digital whistleblowing, as it provides a good overview of public interest whistleblowing in a journalistic context. For readers who wish to investigate this journalistic practice further, I would also recommend this book, as the proposed taxonomy of whistleblowing platforms is a beneficial starting point for further studies.” (Renate Fischer, Digital War, Vol. 2, 2021) “Whistleblowing has always been central to journalism’s mission to hold the powerful in check. But today, mass government and corporate surveillance make whistleblowers, and the journalists who partner with them, exceptionally vulnerable. Digital Whistleblowing Platforms in Journalism is about efforts around the world made by journalists and hackers to protect the flow of information between reporters and their sources. By exploring the development and use of whistleblowing platforms and tools in 15 countries, Philip Di Salvo offers a much needed analysis of how the technologies and practices at the center of journalism today are changing and why it matters.” (Adrienne Russell, Mary Laird Wood Professor, University of Washington, Seattle, USA)

“This book is the first explorative study specifically focussing on digital platforms designed to facilitate information security for journalists and whistleblowers. It is an important intervention into how we understand the operationalisation of mass leaks in a digital communications environment, and the boundaries between journalism and technology-oriented activism. Dr Di Salvo writes authoritatively in a style that is both clear and accessible, which that elucidates debates that are too often steeped in technical complexions. Given the increasingly hostile environment for journalists, even in liberal democracies, this book is essential reading for anyone concerned with source protection and safety of journalists.” (Einar Thorsen, Professor of Journalism and Communication, Bournemouth University, UK)

• Institute of Media and Journalism, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland

  Philip Di Salvo

Philip Di Salvo is Lecturer and a post-doctoral researcher at the Institute of Media and Journalism at the Università della Svizzera Italiana, Switzerland. He researches whistleblowing, leaks, and the relationships between journalism and hacking.

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