Behind the headlines of the latest scandal du jour you will find a whistleblower who brought the information to light, often at great risk to their professional and personal lives. Tyler Shultz and Theranos, Facebook and Frances Haugen, Brittany Kaiser and Cambridge Analytica, Sherron Watkins and Enron, Ed Pierson and Boeing. The list goes on and on.
These same whistleblowers are appealing narrators, sources, and subjects for documentary films. They supply the human element to help guide viewers trying to understand often complex fraud, misconduct, and other wrongdoing. While it can be empowering for whistleblowers to tell their stories on film, doing so creates considerable risks that must be considered, mitigated, or eliminated where possible.
In this workshop, you will work with a documentary filmmaker/journalist, whistleblower attorney, a public relations expert specializing in whistleblower stories, and a leading nonprofit whistleblower advocacy group. You’ll learn how to work successfully and safely with whistleblowers, and navigate the complications and potential pitfalls created by NDAs and ongoing government investigations. You’ll become familiar with the psycho-social impacts of whistleblowing, as well as the personal and professional toll whistleblowing takes on those who speak truth to power.