Institutional Corruption In The Insider

The decision to act against the establishment is never a simple decision and often involves the escalation of internal and external conditions for the whistleblower. Once Wigand in The Insider becomes aware of B&W’s involvement in making the cigarettes more addictive, he is fired for refusing to support the company’s actions, but refuses to disclose anything to the public. Only after an arduous cycle of institutional pressure and a series of internal realizations does Wigand decide to reveal B&W’s heavily guarded secrets. Despite successfully alerting the public of the tobacco industry’s practices, the conclusion of the movie is far from a happy ending as Wigand loses his family in his crusade against rampant institutional corruption in the

Though Wigand’s testimony in Mississippi divulges the practices of the tobacco industry that patently ignore the public good in search of self-gain, the setting of the court case and Wigand’s gag order evinces much more regarding the sway of big business. Kentucky’s restraining order is an indication of how commercial and political power are entwined in this film as the order is undoubtedly formed out of pressure from B&W. Once the gag order is delivered, Wigand acquires another adversary in the form of the state of Kentucky. Even the seemingly impartial laws of Wigand’s home state are swayed by the massive power the tobacco industry commands. When Wigand seems to have found redemption through the state of Mississippi as Scruggs expresses his interest in hearing what Wigand has to say, the Governor of Mississippi declares his alignment with big tobacco through suing his own attorney general to drop litigation. Through this scene, Mann illustrates that the power of big business extends even to the court of law. Wigand’s quest damages the integrity of government as it reveals their alignment with big business to the public despite claiming to represent the people. Because Wigand’s goal shifted from defending his family to doing what is publicly right, his quest is a success with heavy loss as the public is more aware of the influence that big tobacco exerts on every aspect of society at the cost of his family and