Journalism and Society: Leaks and Whistleblowers

Catalog description

This class analyzes the role of media concentration and technological innovation as twin driving forces in the inception of the "big leak era" in media in recent years. We study the consequences of media leaks from three angles: (i) the legal consequences for whistleblowers; (ii) the resulting birth of global networks and partnerships that expose technical, cultural and economic limitations in the traditional media; and (iii) the geopolitical implications, as a breach in one government ́s security apparatus is a victory for that government ́s opponents.