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Intro: Why this guide exists
The climate crisis is picking up speed. But as we continue into 2025, ambition inside many companies is slowing down… Or reversing altogether. Emissions targets are being shelved, DEI teams dismantled, and greenwashing is continuing to delay meaningful progress. The return of the Trump administration has only sharpened this shift, bringing open hostility toward climate and social progress, and fuelling a broader corporate retreat.
At the same time, global coordination is faltering, and public levers like policy and regulation are under attack. Which means alternative levers (like employee action) are more important than ever.
If you work inside a company that is failing to act on climate (or worse, actively misleading the public), your voice matters. You may be one of the few people with access to the truth: what’s really happening behind the glossy sustainability reports and polished commitments.
Speaking to the media is one way to make that truth visible. Yes, it’s a risky move; but also a potentially powerful one. Not everyone needs to go public, and not everyone should. But if you are considering it, we’re here to support you through that process.
This guide will walk you through what to consider before speaking out, how to assess risk, how to engage with journalists securely and ethically, and what to expect if your story makes it out into the world.
Section 1: Before you speak – know your why
Before you reach out to anyone (journalist, colleague, campaigner), take a moment to get clear on your purpose. What are you actually hoping to achieve?
Are you hoping to stop a specific project, expose greenwash, support internal advocates, or add pressure from the outside? Each of these goals requires a different approach - and media engagement isn’t always the best first step.
In most cases, internal organising should come first. That means building relationships with others who share your concerns, raising issues through internal channels, and pushing for change from the inside. It’s often safer, more sustainable, and more likely to result in meaningful outcomes; especially if you’re early in your journey or want to stay at the company. This kind of work is exactly what we exist to support you with.
Other alternatives include strategic leaks to aligned NGOs, and shareholder activism. NGOs and watchdog groups often have more freedom to investigate and apply pressure, and can act as a bridge between internal knowledge and public accountability. Sharing information with them (even anonymously) can lead to reports, campaigns, or stories that get your message out without putting your name on the line. Shareholder activism is another route, particularly in publicly listed companies, where concerns can be raised through resolutions, AGMs or behind-the-scenes investor pressure. These tactics are often most effective when combined with internal organising, allowing employees to build pressure from within while others create momentum from the outside.
That said, there are situations where speaking to the media might make sense:
- You've tried internal routes and hit a brick wall.
- You’re seeing serious misalignment between what’s said publicly and what’s happening internally, and it’s putting people or the planet at risk.
- You’re planning to leave the company and want to make your knowledge count.
- You’re part of a wider effort to expose systemic problems that go beyond your workplace.
This isn’t about choosing one tactic over another; it’s about using the right lever at the right time, and understanding what each one can and can’t do.
You should also consider whether you’re acting alone or with others. Employees who move together (even informally) tend to have more impact and more protection. Could you coordinate your efforts, or at least sense-check your next steps together?
Also consider timing. Is this the moment to go public? Or would it make more sense to start by building pressure internally, or sharing what you know (anonymously or not) with a trusted campaigner or NGO who can act as a bridge?
Finally, take a step back and ask: Is this a story? Journalists will be thinking in terms of what’s newsworthy, verifiable and timely - and you should, too. Do you have evidence to support what you’re saying? Would the public (or your peers in other companies) care about this? Can you help them see the bigger picture?
The clearer you are on your “why,” the easier it will be to make the rest of the decisions that follow. It’s also worth stepping back and thinking about the change you want to see; and what it will take to get there. Media attention alone rarely shifts entrenched systems. If your goal is long-term change, consider how your action could feed into something bigger: a collective push, a sustained campaign, or ongoing pressure from investors, employees, or customers. Speaking to the media can light the spark, but it's collective action that keeps the fire going.
Section 2: Understanding the risk landscape
Speaking to the media can be a powerful tactic, but always exercise caution. Before you move forward, you should have a clear picture of the risks and your own risk appetite. Not to scare yourself out of acting, but to prepare and protect yourself from unnecessary fallout.
Contracts, NDAs, and confidentiality
Most employment contracts include confidentiality clauses. Some go further, with Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) tied to specific projects. These don’t necessarily mean you can’t speak - but they do shape what you can say, and how safely you can say it.
While NDAs can sound intimidating, they’re often designed more to discourage you than to legally stop you. In many cases, they’re not actually enforceable in court; particularly when the issue involves public interest or wrongdoing. As whistleblower Zelda Perkins shared during a 2025 SXSW panel, “NDAs are used to create a perception of silence.”(Watch: Is Whistleblowing Dead? – SXSW Panel)
It’s also worth reading your contract closely. If you’re in a union, talk to them. And if you're unsure, reach out to organisations that support whistleblowers for advice (we list some at the end of this section). Please note that this guide doesn’t offer legal advice, but there are people who can.
Legal vs reputational vs emotional risk
Legal action is rare, but not unheard of. What’s more common is reputational risk: being labelled a troublemaker, losing access or influence inside the company, or being passed over for future roles. And then there’s the emotional side: stress, isolation, burnout.
You might be protected by whistleblower laws (especially if you're exposing illegal or dangerous activity), but protections vary wildly depending on your country, contract, and how your information is used. Anonymity helps, but it’s also not a silver bullet.
Can you stay anonymous?
In many cases, yes - you can provide background information without being named. Journalists are often open to off-the-record conversations and understand how to protect sources… But anonymity is never guaranteed. Your voice, your writing style, or even the specifics of what you know could still be traced back to you. Be careful with documents, internal emails, and metadata. Use secure channels (more on this in Section 3).
If you’re part of a group, consider speaking as a collective - like the food sector insiders who released an anonymous memo through Inside Track, calling on investors to scrutinise business models across the industry. Anonymity is easier to maintain in numbers.
Prepare for the aftermath
Even if nothing goes public, these kinds of decisions carry weight. Sharing information (even discreetly) can be emotionally draining. And if the story does break, you might feel exposed, disappointed, or overwhelmed. You might not get the reaction you were hoping for.
Think ahead. Who’s in your corner? How will you manage stress if the situation escalates? What’s your plan if you’re identified?
This isn’t to say don’t do it. It’s to say: go in with your eyes open, and a support system in place.
For support with whistleblower questions/concerns, check out:
– Climate Whistleblowers – climatewhistleblowers.org
– Protect (UK): protect-advice.org.uk
– Whistleblower Aid – whistlebloweraid.org
– PSST – psst.org
Section 3: How to engage with journalists
If you’ve decided media engagement is the right move, it’s important to approach it with care. It certainly shouldn’t start with an immediate public exposé. In most cases, it should start with some off the record conversations to test out whether there’s a story worth telling, and to sketch out how best to share it.
Start by identifying the right journalist. Look for someone who already covers your industry, your company, or corporate climate action more broadly. Read recent stories, get a sense of their tone, and see what has previously been ‘newsworthy’ for their publication. You also want to find someone who handles sources responsibly, understands the stakes, and has a track record of digging deeper. You can often find the contact details of such journalists in their articles or on LinkedIn. When you reach out, you don’t need to share anything sensitive up front; just flag that you work in the sector, have insight into an issue, and are open to a conversation off the record to begin with.
If that still feels too exposed, consider working with an intermediary. These are trusted comms professionals, campaigners, or ex-journalists who understand both corporate environments and the media landscape. They can help you shape your story, connect you to the right journalist, set boundaries for how information is handled, and in some cases even join you in the first meeting. Think of them as a kind of chaperone - someone who ensures your voice is heard safely and strategically, and that the engagement serves your purpose, not just the media’s.
“Most people assume going to the media means going nuclear. It doesn’t,” says Beau O’Sullivan, a comms director at climate advocacy NGO The Sunrise Project. “Sometimes it’s just a quiet coffee with a journalist or someone who knows the media landscape - a way to feel out whether your story matters, and what it might help shift.”
When you do decide to speak to a journalist, agree the ground rules before the conversation begins: Are you on the record (quote and name), off the record (can’t be used), or on background (can be used, but you won’t be named)? Good journalists will stick to these boundaries - but only if you set them clearly and early. If you do go on the record, prepare what you want to say and practise tight, soundbite-style phrasing; it helps journalists quote you accurately and makes it more likely your message will land clearly in the final piece.
If you're sharing documents or internal communications, avoid anything that can be traced back to you (e.g. filenames with your name, forwarded emails with metadata, screenshots with Slack names visible). Use your personal device, and don’t email from your work account. Free encrypted tools like Signal or ProtonMail are widely used for secure contact, and widely respected by journalists.
It’s also important to note that you don’t necessarily need a dramatic scoop. Some of the most effective stories are slow burns: patterns of inaction, watered-down targets, values quietly compromised. Stick to what you’ve seen or heard directly, and back it up where you can by finding others with the same experience. Journalists may ask for a second source (in other words, another employee who can verify what you’ve said), or a document that shows it’s not just your word alone. Don’t take that as mistrust - it’s just them doing their job well.
And remember: it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You can start by sharing context or providing background information without being quoted, and you can meet for a coffee and decide to go no further. In some cases, just having that first off-the-record conversation can be helpful (not to mention cathartic!). And sometimes, that conversation becomes the start of something bigger.
Section 4: What journalists want you to know
Once you’re in conversation with a journalist (or even thinking about reaching out to one), it helps to understand how they work, what they’re looking for, and what they can realistically offer in return.
Most good journalists are not looking to trip you up. They’re trying to make sense of what’s happening inside companies, uncover patterns, and tell stories that matter. But they also have constraints: editorial processes, legal checks, fact verification, and deadlines. Knowing this can help you build trust, and avoid frustration on both sides.
So what makes someone a credible source?
It’s not about being high up the ladder, although this can help to add credibility. What really matters is having access to real insight - and the ability to communicate it clearly, with evidence where possible. Internal documents, data, notes you or colleagues made at the time, or even policy changes can help back up what you’re saying. If you’ve seen something shift (for example, language in strategy decks, budget cuts, net zero plans dropped quietly), that’s often more interesting than a big, dramatic “leak.”
The more sensitive your information, the more important it is to strengthen its credibility. Journalists (and their editors or legal teams) may hesitate torun a story if they sense it could be challenged. If you can, try to provide multiple forms of confirmation: a second source, a screenshot, an all-hands transcript, or contemporaneous notes. These are much harder for companies to deny or spin.
Take notes when engaging with leadership - and if others can do so too, even better. Companies may dispute wording, context, or timing later, so anything that documents what actually happened helps protect the story.
“Journalists will ask for information about you not because they want to reveal it but because they have to reassure their editors that you are a credible source of information,” says Josephine Moulds, a senior reporter at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
“You can choose how much to disclose and be clear about what can and cannot be published. That can come out of a discussion with the journalist. Providing more detail will lend more weight to what you have to say. A good journalist will balance requests from their editor to be more specific, and your need for anonymity.”
Journalists are also constantly weighing whether something is newsworthy. That means asking: is this timely? Does it matter to the public or to people in other companies? Is it part of a larger trend in our industry or region? Is it new? It’s useful to keep these questions in mind, but don’t let them hold you back, either. What feels routine or obvious to you, as someone on the inside, might actually be surprising (or even explosive) when seen from the outside. Especially when it contradicts the company’s public image.
You should also know that even if the story is solid, it might not get published. It might get delayed, edited heavily, or dropped. Sometimes the timing isn’t right, and sometimes legal teams quash the story. This doesn’t mean your effort was wasted; often, stories resurface later, or spark behind-the-scenes shifts you’ll never see credited.
Good journalists will also take your protection seriously. That might involve anonymising your identity, triangulating your insights with other sources to have the story less tied to you as an individual, and delaying publication until your safety is accounted for. But remember that if you are aiming to stay anonymous, this a shared responsibility; it only works if you also protect yourself by using secure channels, avoiding traceable documents, and being mindful of what details might give you away.
And finally, remember that journalists are people! They’re navigating deadlines, pressures, and risks too. Approaching them with honesty, realism, and care will usually be met with the same in return.
Note: If you’re unsure where to look for journalists or chaperones, we can support. Reach out to us at info@workforclimate.org if you’d like help finding the right person to speak with.
Section 5: Employee stories
No one understands the internal landscape like the people who work inside it. Over the past few years, more employees have begun to speak out (some quietly, others publicly) about the growing gap between what companies say on climate and what they actually do. These stories vary in tone and tactic, but they all reflect the same basic truth: at some point, staying silent becomes harder than speaking up.
A public resignation that made headlines
In 2022, Caroline Dennett, a UK-based safety consultant, ended her 11-year relationship with Shell in a widely publicised resignation video. She’d worked closely with the company’s internal teams and knew the systems inside out. But over time, she became convinced that Shell’s actions were out of step with its stated climate commitments - particularly its continued investment in new oil and gas projects.
Rather than simply walk away, she chose to go public. She filmed a calm, clear-eyed resignation message and sent it directly to Shell leadership and employees, then worked with journalists to make sure the story landed. It did. The video and her open letter were covered globally, and became part of a much larger conversation about greenwashing and corporate accountability in the fossil fuel sector.
Dennett didn’t have a dramatic leak, and she didn’t name names. But her credibility, her timing, and her clarity of message gave her story weight. She used the media not for revenge, but to challenge the gap between rhetoric and reality.
Blowing the whistle from inside the ad industry
Polina Zabrodskaya had built a successful career in advertising, eventually rising to creative partner at global agency AMV BBDO. But in 2021, she began to challenge the environmental and labour-related claims being made in campaigns for one of the agency’s biggest clients: Mars. The deeper she dug, the more she realised the sustainability messaging she was expected to shape didn’t align with on-the-ground realities like deforestation and child labour in the cocoa supply chain.
After raising concerns internally (and with Mars executives), Zabrodskaya says she was gradually sidelined, reprimanded, and ultimately pushed out. She left the company in 2024 and is now taking AMV BBDO to tribunal for discrimination, harassment, and constructive dismissal, arguing that her belief in climate action qualifies as a protected philosophical belief under UK law.
With support from Climate Whistleblowers, she’s gone public - not just to tell her story, but to spotlight the advertising industry’s role in enabling greenwash.
“Greenwashing is soul-destroying,” she told DeSmog. “No one really thrives under those conditions - except the corporations.”
Her story is a reminder that not all whistleblowing happens in oil companies or C-suites. It can come from the middle of the creative process, when employees refuse to keep spinning narratives they know don’t hold up.
“You will feel so much better about yourself, and about life, once your values are aligned with how you spend your days,” said Polina. “And you won’t have to do it alone. There are organisations that can support you.”
Legal exposure at scale
Jonathan Taylor took a different path. As a lawyer for SBM Offshore, he discovered the company’s systematic bribery of officials at Petrobras, Brazil’s state oil company, in exchange for lucrative offshore oil contracts. The corruption was vast and well-hidden. Taylor chose to expose it, not through the media at first, but by working directly with prosecutors across four countries.
His evidence led to massive penalties (including a $347 million settlement in Brazil) and the conviction of senior executives. His whistleblowing came at great personal cost: he was subject to arrest, legal threats, and years of pressure. But it showed what’s possible when insider knowledge, legal backing, and strategic timing come together.
While his story is more extreme than most, it’s a reminder that truth from the inside can have systemic reach - especially when tied to legal or financial wrongdoing.
Organising and amplifying through media
Maren Costa, a former Amazon employee and the company’s first Principal User Experience Designer, co-founded Amazon Employees for Climate Justice (AECJ): a worker-led campaign that publicly pushes the company to reduce its climate impact.
Their first public-facing move (a shareholder resolution paired with an open letter) was backed by thousands of employee signatures and widespread media coverage.
But media engagement wasn’t just about visibility; it was part of a bigger organising strategy. Ahead of speaking to the press, Maren and fellow organiser Emily Cunningham anticipated they might face retaliation, including being fired. So they planned for it. In advance, they coordinated with 400 colleagues who agreed to break Amazon’s external comms policy in solidarity. When the company issued formal warnings, those employees published a collective statement, making it clear that leadership couldn’t target two people without targeting hundreds.
“We knew we’d probably get a warning – maybe even be fired”, said Maren Costa. So we built the support system first. The 400 statements weren’t a reaction: they were the plan.”
Their story shows the power of pairing internal organising with media timing – and of preparing, in advance, for what might come next.
When asked for her top tips for speaking with the media, Maren suggests:
“Rehearse what you want to say. Pick one key point you want in the story, practise saying it three different ways, and coordinate with others to reinforce it. If you’re asked something you don’t want to answer, loop back to your talking point!”
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Anonymous, collective action via the media
In 2025, a group of senior professionals from the UK food sector chose a more discreet route. Working through Inside Track, they released a public memo warning that the sector was underestimating climate and nature-related risks. They didn’t name employers or speak as individuals. Instead, they acted as a group, protecting their anonymity while still sending a clear signal to investors and creditors: the system isn’t working, and it’s time to ask harder questions.
The story was picked up by publications like edie, and sparked serious conversations across the industry. Their strategy avoided personal exposure while still landing a public punch.
Using media to amplify internal messages
Not all employee media engagement is about leaks or whistleblowing. Sometimes, it’s about making an internal message harder to ignore. In early 2025, a group of employees at Paramount Global wrote a blistering open letter to company leadership, calling out the rollback of internal DEI policies. The letter didn’t leak by accident. It was shared deliberately with journalists (including New York Times media reporter Benjamin Mullin, who then shared it on LinkedIn), without naming any individual source. The language was bold, unapologetic, and unmistakably collective.
The letter accused Paramount of hypocrisy: profiting from diverse audiences while gutting internal commitments to equity. It called out billionaire ownership, performative culture-building, and short-term profit thinking. Once published, the letter sparked widespread public debate, drawing attention to a growing corporate trend of quietly walking back social responsibility commitments.
This tactic (drafting a powerful internal message, then using trusted media to carry it beyond the boardroom) is becoming more common. It’s especially effective when employees want their message heard but aren’t looking to go public themselves. Done right, the story becomes about the company’s values - not about who sent the email.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there’s no single way to engage with the media. You can go public, go quiet, go as a group, or go through a trusted intermediary. You can act from inside, or on your way out. What matters is that you move with intention - and that you understand how your voice, used carefully, can create ripples beyond your immediate role.
If you’re unsure where to start, reach out! We can help you find trusted journalists, connect with experienced intermediaries, or talk through your next move.
You're not imagining the dissonance between what your company says and what it does. And you're not the only one asking whether now is the time to act.
The short answer? If you’re asking, it probably is.
Where to go from here?
For support or a sounding board:
Email: info@workforclimate.org
Whistleblower support
- Climate Whistleblowers – climatewhistleblowers.org
Global support for climate-related disclosures - Protect (UK) – protect-advice.org.uk
Independent legal advice for UK-based whistleblowers - Whistleblower Aid – whistlebloweraid.org
US-based legal help and secure channels - Human Rights Law Centre (Australia) – hrlc.org.au/whistleblower-project
Australian legal and strategic support- They also have an excellent guide on how to leak information relevant to protecting the climate or environment here
- The Tech Worker Handbook - https://techworkerhandbook.org
A collection of resources for tech workers who are looking to make more informed decisions about whether to speak out on issues that are in the public interest. - The Signals Network - https://thesignalsnetwork.org/twh/
A series of tech whistleblowing guides based on experience supporting and protecting whistleblowers across the world - PSST – psst.org
Collective whistleblower support and strategy, focused on impact and long-term safety
Media partners
- The Bureau of Investigative Journalism – thebureauinvestigates.com
An independent investigative newsroom that publishes with partners, such as the BBC and the New York Times. Reporters are not under pressure to produce daily news so they can work at the pace their sources need. Contact them directly at info@tbij.com or josephinemoulds@tbij.com
Secure communication tools
- Signal – Encrypted messaging app
- ProtonMail – Encrypted email platform
- Tella – Anonymous reporting app (with optional visual capture)
Strategy + campaign tools
- Inside Track – insidetrack.org.uk
Convening platform for industry insiders - Organise Network – organise.network/organiser
Easy-to-use tools for internal/external petitions, open letters, and staff campaigns - Environmental Whistleblowing Toolkit – PDF version
- TruthTeller (Extinction Rebellion UK) – extinctionrebellion.uk/truth-teller A safe platform for anonymous climate disclosures, in collaboration with journalists and lawyers
