Word Watch: Whistleblower

On the Media | Feb 13, 2015

In the age of Snowden and Manning, the term "whistleblower" is increasingly present in our media. But where exactly did the word come from? Who gets to decide who qualifies as a whistleblower? Brooke talks 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.

Song: "Blow Your Whistle" by Chuck Jones & The Soul Searchers

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