We see people doing wrong things in all sorts of organizations and communities. Most of us ignore these things so it doesn’t affect our lives. However, there comes a time when no self-respecting man or woman can’t stay silent. They can’t help but blow the whistle on them. The problem with whistleblowing is that it can create some problems for you. This is the reason why you should follow these tips to stay safe when exposing the truth.
Write Anonymously
You should write about the issue and publish it on a platform where people can read it. You can mention complete details with proof in the article. However, since you are trying to lay low, you should do it anonymously.
Don’t write an author bio and only reach out to platforms such as The Doe who take their principles seriously. They will verify your story, keep your identity hidden, and never sell out no matter how much pressure they have to face.
Don’t Give Out Any Information that Points to You
When you are writing the article, make sure you don’t mention any detail that could give them any hints about who you are. They might figure out your identity from the information you have mentioned about them. They would start to guess what type of people can access that information.
While you should try to be as descriptive as possible, it should be written in a way that you don’t get noticed. They should not be able to tell if it’s an insider job or someone spied on them. Keeping your identity secret is important. Even if they can’t do anything to harm, they might manage to block you out. This means you won’t be able to discover any more information if you are still inside their system.
Collect Evidence before Speaking Out
Some people will speak against you when you share your story. It could be paid writers for those bad people. Besides, people are very skeptical in the twenty-first century.
They always check the background and look for strong evidence before believing anything. This is why you have to provide evidence with your claims. Don’t speak out until you have proof of what you are saying.
The reason why we say is pretty simple to understand. If you start spreading disinformation, you can get sued, and that can make your life a lot tougher. That is the reason why we strongly recommend you be patient and do not write anything until you collect all the evidence that can confirm your story. However, if you do have all the proofs highlighted, then you will become a trusted source, even if no one else knows who exactly you are.
Use a Different Pen Name
You might have to write follow-up articles after you have published one article. The next articles will provide new updates and actions that you might have taken and the results you got from them.
It’s a great way to engage your audience and get them to join the cause. As you would be writing anonymously, they wouldn’t know who wrote the article. That’s why you should use a pen name for the time you expose anything.
Build a Team of Trusted People
You are not very strong when alone. Build a time of like-minded people who would join your cause. There would be others who think the same way as you. When you expose the truth, you should ask them to join and help you.
With a team by your side, the enemy would know that just getting rid of you won’t be enough. However, you have to be careful not to blow your cover in front of the wrong people. Make sure you are 100% sure about the person before him/her in your team.
Bonus: Why SHould Someone Become a Whistleblower?
This type of “job” is risky for many people, and that especially counts when we talk about the 21st century. Many people would rather remain quiet because they are afraid for their own safety. As mentioned, there are a few ways how you can keep yourself protected from any type of problem. However, no one says that you need to hide your identity forever.
There are a couple of reasons why becoming a whistleblower is a good thing, and we hope the list below will change your way of thinking.
You, Will, Become Proud of Yourself
We know that everything seems dangerous and scary at first. However, when you publish something that can help someone else, then you will start feeling proud and happy because of the courage that you had. As mentioned, most people would rather avoid doing these things, so you will become one of the rear individuals on this planet Earth that is ready to do the right thing. When you know that everything can be anonymous, you may get even more motivated to start this tough journey.
You May Find Your Purpose of Life
We have to start some tough topics in the part of the article to confirm that becoming a whistleblower is actually a great thing. What is the purpose of your life and do you even have one? There is no table where your destiny is written. You are the one who controls your life and you are the one who determines the purpose of life.
Fighting for justice can be your purpose of life, right? The first steps are going to be the toughest ones until you reach a high level of self-confidence. If you have good people around you that you can trust, you can be sure you will be properly protected. Sooner or later, you will start enjoying whistleblowing and your fear will disappear.
Bonus: Questions to Ask Yourself Before Becoming a Whistleblower
In the beginning, everything would seem dangerous, and after that, when the nice feelings come, everything will look perfect. However, to make things easier for you, there are a couple of questions you need to ask yourself.
First of all, ask yourself whether you are physically ready to become a whistleblower. Are you ready to take action? Don’t start this journey just because you know you are doing a good thing. Despite that, you carefully need to check out whether all the evidence that you have are going to be enough. Yes, the preparation process lasts long, and you should not speed it up just because you are confident; do that only when you are pretty sure that all the proves are there!
