Investigative JournalismInvestigative Journalism

What is it?

In “The Reporter's Handbook: An Investigator's Guide to Documents and Techniques,” Steve Weinberg defined it as:

“Reporting, through one's own initiative and work product, matters of importance to readers, viewers or listeners. In many cases, the subjects of the reporting wish the matters under scrutiny to remain undisclosed.”

Investigative journalism is a branch of journalism that usually concentrates on a very specific topic, and typically requires a lot of work to yield results.

The classic example is the uncovering of the Watergate scandal by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, resulting in reports being published in the Washington Post.

Why is there a need for it?

James Carey explains our need to understand why:

"When matters of fundamental importance surface in the news, they cannot be treated as secular mysteries and left unexplained. They must be accounted for, must be rendered sensible. … We insist that the economy and the polity be explicable: a domain where someone is in control, or natural laws are being obeyed, or that despite all the bad news of the moment, the signs in the headlines augur well for the future."

Legal protection

“The right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized. Access to official records and to documents, and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions or decision, as well as to government research data used as basis for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen, subject to such limitations as may be provided by law.”

Article III, Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution

Some investigative reporting techniques

Making full use of public documents : Sifting through mountains of paper: studying neglected sources, such as archives, tax records, audit reports

Following up anonymous tips, seeking whistleblowers: people are increasingly demanding transparency, and technology has created many avenues where information may be shared.

Some investigative reporting techniques

Remembering to follow up in case meetings are closed.

Going undercover Turning complex subjects into

compelling stories that touch readers’ lives: Find out what readers need more information on, what they’re worried about, or what they’re pleased about

Use technology wisely

Journalists at the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) wrote:

 

“Information and communication technology has made investigative journalism both simpler and more complex, easier but also harder. It has compelled us to adapt and innovate, to take advantage of what the technology has to offer without being blinded by its glitz.”

Some classic examples:

In 1880 Henry Demarest Lloyd published a series of articles exposing corruption in business and politics. This included The Story of a Great Monopoly (1881), Making Bread Dear (1883) and Lords of Industry (1884). Lloyd has been described as the first American investigative journalist.

Some classic examples:

Nellie Bly, an 18-year-old reporter with the Pittsburgh Dispatch, was another important pioneer in American investigative journalism. For example, she worked in a Pittsburgh factory to investigate child labor, low wages and unsafe working conditions. She used undercover work to write about housing conditions and the state of patients in a New York asylum.

Social reform as overriding goal

Brainstorming

Focusing on government services or processes, complete one of the following phrases:

I’ve always wondered… I’m curious about… I’d like to learn more about…

Investigating Local Governments Some tips from PCIJ’s Yvonne Chua

Local governments exercise broad powers Political Executive Legislative Regulatory Law enforcement Corporate

When writing about the budget Compare with preceding years Where is the government spending more?

Less? Compare proposed vs. approved budget How does it measure up against standards? Be sure to attend public hearings. Compare the budget with projected income.

Will there be new or higher taxes? At the end of the year, compare the

appropriated amount with what was actually spent.

Check government contracts. How much does the contract

involve? Look at both small- and big-ticket items.

Check if any rules were bent: No public bidding Cost overruns Non-delivery (ghost projects) Conflict of interest

Another area to watch: campaign promises

Keep a record of what they said they’d do, and find out what they’re doing or not doing now

Examine records of campaign donations and expenditures

Keep track of people they’ve appointed to juicy positions

Find out if government property aren’t being tapped for personal use

Investigate communities

Look for successful projects that are underreported: How did they do it? What resources were available to them? Who are their leaders? Can other communities replicate what they’ve done?

Consider using citizens’ report cards

When writing, remember:

 Invest in proper preparation before you sit down to write the story. Write a short abstract with the major points you want to make. Construct a detailed outline. Identify your best quotes. Experiment with leads.

A good investigative story combines powerful statements and telling examples. If you can’t produce both – a nut graph that summarizes your findings, and clear, telling illustrations – you likely have to do more reporting.

When writing, remember:

Whatever your medium, you must consider and anticipate your readers’ full experience with your story. Use your medium’s other tools – photographs, graphics, audio – to enhance that experience and to lift some of the burden from your words.

Simplicity and clarity are eternal virtues. Minimize your use of numbers, jargon and bureaucratese. The story’s weight should lie in the facts, not in your word choices.

Writing the Story

 Focus: What’s the central theme? Lead and nut graph: What’s the point

of the story? History: How did the problem develop? Scope: How widespread is the

development?

Writing the Story

Causes: Why is this problem happening now?

Effects: Who’s affected and how? Moves and countermoves: Who’s

acting to promote or oppose the developments, and what are they doing?

Future: What could happen?

Joseph Pulitzer’s challenge:Our republic and its press will rise or fall

together. An able, public-spirited press, with trained intelligence to know what’s right and courage to do it, can preserve that public virtue without which popular government is a sham and a mockery. … The power to mold the future of the republic will be in the hands of the journalists of future generations.

Every issue of the paper presents an opportunity and a duty to say something courageous and true.

Online resources you can visit

www.pcij.org www.ire.org (Investigative Reporters

and Editors Inc.) www.washingtonpost.com (Revisiting

Watergate) www.newsu.org (News University)