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Public Administration vocabulary · Transparency, Audit and Ethics

Whistleblower

Meaning in public administration, with examples

/ˈwɪslbləʊə/nounCommon term

In public administration, whistleblower means: An employee or insider who reports wrongdoing inside an organization, such as fraud, corruption or danger to the public, to managers, authorities or the media.

In Turkish: bilgi uçuran, ihbarcı, usulsüzlük bildiren kişi

How it is used

Many countries have whistleblower protection laws and confidential reporting channels. People blow the whistle on wrongdoing, and the activity is whistleblowing. In English the word is generally positive or neutral, suggesting someone acting in the public interest.

Example sentences

  1. A whistleblower in the finance department reported that invoices were being paid twice.

  2. The new policy protects whistleblowers from dismissal or other punishment.

Common collocations

  • whistleblower protection
  • blow the whistle
  • whistleblowing policy
  • anonymous whistleblower
  • corruptionThe dishonest use of public power or position for private gain, such as taking bribes, favouring relatives or stealing public funds.
  • code of conductA written set of rules and principles describing how the members of an organization are expected to behave, for example on gifts, neutrality and the use of information.
  • transparencyThe principle that public bodies should act openly, so that citizens can see how decisions are made, how money is spent and who is responsible.
  • conflict of interestA situation in which an official's personal interests, such as family, business or financial links, could affect, or seem to affect, the way they carry out their public duties.

More terms: Transparency, Audit and Ethics

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