Integrity Media Convenes Whistleblower Panel Featuring Greenwald, Kiriakou, and Younes at Independent Journalism Awards
September 17, 2026
CHICAGO —Integrity Media hosted a panel on whistleblowing— “Whistleblowers: Truth at Any Cost”—on Thursday at the University Club of Chicago during its second annual Independent Journalism Awards.
Glenn Greenwald, Jenin Younes, and John Kiriakou discussed the history of whistleblowing, the risks created by digital surveillance, and the role whistleblowers play in exposing government misconduct.
Greenwald is a constitutional lawyer, investigative journalist, bestselling author, and host of System Update. He co-founded The Intercept and helped report the NSA documents provided by Edward Snowden, contributing to coverage that received the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.
Kiriakou is a journalist, podcaster, and former CIA counterterrorism officer. He also served as a senior investigator for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a counterterrorism consultant for ABC News. In 2007, he publicly exposed the CIA’s torture program.
Younes is a civil liberties attorney and president and legal director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. She has brought lawsuits challenging First Amendment violations, including cases involving the censorship of scientists who challenged government COVID policies and the punishment of pro-Palestine activists.
The discussion addressed how emerging technologies have changed the risks facing whistleblowers, journalists, and their sources, and why protecting them remains essential to public accountability.
The panel formed part of an awards program recognizing journalists and media organizations for courageous, independent reporting.
About Integrity Media: Founded in 2023, Integrity Media is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect the right to free speech and create space for dissenting views by supporting independent media, journalists, publishers, and expert voices who seek the truth, free from corporate or partisan influences. Their projects include: the Unfettered Speech podcast, Free Speech News website, and the annual Independent Journalism Awards. For more information, visit integritymedia.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Edward Erikson, ed@eriksongroup.com, ava@eriksongroup.com