No, actual whistleblowers should be covering their own asses as much as possible with informed decisions and good opsec/infosec practices and not trusting anyon

No, actual whistleblowers should be covering their own asses as much as possible with informed decisions and good opsec/infosec practices and not trusting anyone or anything else which includes the press. If a whistleblower's identity is exposed, it stands to reason media outlets have more to gain from the fallout.