National security whistle-blowers explained the challenges they faced when trying to expose wrongdoing or violations of the law and discussed the critical balance between civil liberties and national security. Speakers included Daniel Ellsberg, the military analyst who leaked the Pentagon Papers; Tom Drake, a former NSA executive who was prosecuted as a spy; and Edward Snowden’s attorney, Jesselyn Radack. Authors Sandy Tolan and Narda Zacchino participated from the audience.
“Whistleblowing and Journalism: The Role of Watchdogs in the National Security Era” was a panel of the Annenberg School event, “Patriot or Traitor? Whistleblowing and Journalism in the Age of Government Surveillance,” which was part of the Government Accountability Project’s “American Whistleblower Tour: Essential Voices for Accountability.” The event was held on April 8, 2014.