EPISODE · Oct 2, 2019 · 9 MIN
Go and Get Yourself a Whistle and Blow
from On the Media · host WNYC Studios
Ever present in the Snowden and Manning era, the word "whistleblower" is again dominating the airwaves. But where exactly did the word come from? Who gets to decide who qualifies as a whistleblower? Back in 2015, Brooke spoke to language columnist Ben Zimmer, legal director for the Government Accountability Project Tom Devine, and progressive icon Ralph Nader--who "rehabilitated" the word in the 1970's--about the history of the popular epithet. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing [email protected]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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What this episode covers
The word "whistleblower" is everywhere right now; we take a look at its origins with linguist Ben Zimmer and guess what? It started with people who actually blew whistles.
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Go and Get Yourself a Whistle and Blow
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