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CORPORATE CRIME OBSERVATORY
WHISTLING AT THE FAKE
THE CRUCIAL ROLE OF WHISTLEBLOWERS IN COUNTERING DISINFORMATION
Whistling at the Fake: The Crucial Role of Whistleblowers in Countering Disinformation is a multidisciplinary research project funded by NATO's Public Diplomacy Division as part of its resilience projects. It aims at addressing the gap of citizen comprehension of the forms, means, and impacts of misinformation and disinformation, as well as at empowering the public with the tools through which to identify fake news, including appropriate responses to such behaviors. Furthermore, the project focuses on the crucial role that whistleblowers and other knowledgeable insiders play in exposing misleading and hostile information activities and increasing public resilience to acts of this nature. The project is managed by The Manchester Metropolitan University and supported by several prestigious academic institutions including Boston College Law School, the Università degli Studi di Padova, and Tilburg University as well as a group of internationally renowned Impact Partners - Constantine Cannon LLP, the Center for the Study of Democracy, and Government Accountability Project. Whistling at the Fake is coordinated by its Principal Investigator Dr. Costantino Grasso, Associate Professor in Business and Law at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Whistling at the Fake - International Final Conference
On the 5th and 6th of May 2022, it was held the Whistling at the Fake International Final Conference, which represented an important conclusive moment of reflection and debate, included six thematic panels as well as a panel devoted to presenting the results of the international students’ poster competition organized over the course of the project. The event involved the participation of several high-level academics and experts from all over the world.
Whistling at the Fake - International Roundtable "Disinformation and the Private Sector"
On the 28th of January 2022, it was held the Whistling at the Fake International Roundtable “Disinformation and the Private Sector.“ The event aimed at exploring a series of burning issues including methods or techniques used to spread disinformation; the legal relevance of disinformation; economic interests and the spread of disinformation; the role of social media platforms in spreading disinformation; contaminated research; COVID-19 pandemic and disinformation; and the role of whistleblowers in unveiling disinformation.
Whistling at the Fake - International Roundtable "Disinformation and the Public Sector"
On the 25th of February 2022, it was held the Whistling at the Fake International Roundtable “Disinformation and the Public Sector.“ The event aimed at exploring a series of burning issues including: mal/mis/disinformation and populism; the consequences and risks related to disinformation in democratic countries; lack of independence of media and government attacks on journalists; absence of transparency and abuse of classification procedures in the public administration; scientific integrity, right to education, conflicts of interest, and corruption; COVID-19 pandemic and mal/mis/disinformation.
GAP / The Critical Role that Whistleblowers Play in Countering COVID 19 Disinformation
This technical report has been produced by the Whistling at the Fake project, in conjunction with Government Accountability Project, an organization that is a leader in whistleblower advocacy at the global level. The purpose of this study is to examine the critical role that whistleblowers played in countering disinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report highlights that the laws that protect free speech are inadequate to protect whistleblowers, the channels for investigation are unable to handle the disclosures adequately, and nations fail to prioritize whistleblower protection.
What Does It Profit? / Whistling at the Fake - Podcast "The Value of Truth in Science"
The Whistling at the Fake project, in conjunction with the What Does it Profit podcast hosted by Dr. Dawn Carpenter, has taken the opportunity to discuss matters of misinformation and disinformation in science, and the moral value of truth with Dr. Elisabeth Bik, and Dr. Ivan Oransky. Principally, the discussion turns to what does it mean to be a whistleblower, with the guests explaining whistleblowing may be understood as an act, to reveal, uncover, or otherwise demonstrate a problem. This may be either within the private corporate sphere or the public governmental space.