The price of journalist whistle-blowing(2)

Unwanted fame

Both Luo and Wang said they did these acts on their own without notifying their employers beforehand, however their role as reporters has still ignited public discussion.

In a review compiled by the Global Times involving 10 high profile cases of officials toppled due to whistle-blowing since September, two were exposed by reporters, including Luo's case, as well as the Chongqing sex tape scandal that toppled district chief Lei Zhengfu.

Experts say these reports have risks.

"Courageous and solid whistle-blowing by reporters could improve the image of the individual or even the whole journalism industry, but might also transfer the risk to the employers and (the newfound fame) could jeopardize the reporter's objectivity, which is crucial to the profession," said Wang Chenyao, a journalism professor with Peking University, pointing out that whistle-blowing by journalists was an important right for the public.

Several investigative reporters reached by the Global Times also pointed out that although using real names to report cases online can improve the level of exposure of a story, it was risky for a number of reasons, one of which is that the evidence might be compromised by the intense pressure brought to bear by society. In one example, Luo persuaded his key anonymous source to fly back to China from Canada, but due to the intense public pressure she refused to sign key documents citing fears of repercussions.

Wang admitted that he had brought pressure to his employer, and Luo said he was in the same situation. "It's an inevitable paradox that reporters can't be completely independent (of their employer) to engage in whistle-blowing. Being a journalist is the occupation which affords them the most reliable reputation and draws the necessary public attention," Zhou Xiaoyun, a media professional and famous whistle-blower, told the Global Times.

Normally, reporters should not have to do whistle-blowing independently on their own media, because journalists should be able to use their stories to expose issues, and the authorities should follow up on them, Wang Tianding, dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at Xi'an International Studies University, told the Global Times. "However, many of these stories are censored or the authorities simply ignore the information. The special circumstances in China now make such whistle-blowing understandable."

Zhou said he never uses his own publication to publish whistle-blowing cases, and tries not to obtain materials using his professional identity in order to maintain a boundary between his own endeavors and his job.

However, he said it might be the last option to pursue justice by bringing pressure from public opinion to bear on authorities when the regular channels are blocked, and that this could only be changed through reform.

"Otherwise, why did so many people come to reporters for help, instead of resorting to judicial organs?" asked Zhou.

Luo said his whistle-blowing is an experiment. "I wanted to test the new administration's determination to fight graft, and sought a new way to do it through new media," wrote Luo in the articles.

But he emphasized that his efforts didn't represent a template for constructing an anti-graft system, and said he does not hope others follow his lead.