Whistle-blowing Sources and Friends

The discussion today about sources who could be too close to comfort was intriguing.
A good friend of mine recently found himself in a very awkward position. He has information that could not only bring down the department of the respected institution he works at, but could also rock similar institutions nationwide (in Japan, that is). To tell or not to tell.
I think the culture of whistle-blowing in Japan is still very young. When Watergate was bringing fame to "Woodstein" here, Japanese courts were condemning a reporter and his source who exposed secret deals on the U.S.' return of Okinawa to Japan. Laws to protect whistle-blowers went into effect only last year.
Although part of me wants my friend to talk to the Japanese media (he did spill the beans to me), I don't want to see him lose his job or ruin his career, either.
Professor Benedetto was right: It's better to keep your distance from your sources.
This is my first-ever blog entry. Woohoo.
Fumiko Hattori