Investigative journalism

For a broader coverage related to this topic, see Watchdog journalism.

Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crimes, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report. Investigative journalism is a primary source of information. Most investigative journalism is conducted by newspapers, wire services, and freelance journalists. Practitioners sometimes use the term "accountability reporting". One of the largest teams of investigative journalists is the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) launched in 1997 by the Center for Public Integrity[1] which includes 165 investigative reporters in over 65 countries[2] working collaboratively on crime, corruption, and abuse of power at a global level.,[3][4] under Gerard Ryle as Director.[5] Working with major media outlets globally, they have exposed organised crime, international tobacco companies, private military cartels, asbestos companies, climate change lobbyists, details of Iraq and Afghanistan war contracts, and most recently the Panama Papers.[3][4]

An investigative reporter may make use of one or more of these tools, among others, on a single story:

Professional definitions

University of Missouri journalism professor Steve Weinberg defined investigative journalism as: "Reporting, through one's own initiative and work product, matters of importance to readers, viewers, or listeners."[6] In many cases, the subjects of the reporting wish the matters under scrutiny to remain undisclosed. There are currently university departments for teaching investigative journalism. Conferences are conducted presenting peer reviewed research into investigative journalism.

British media theorist Hugo de Burgh (2000) states that: "An investigative journalist is a man or woman whose profession it is to discover the truth and to identify lapses from it in whatever media may be available. The act of doing this generally is called investigative journalism and is distinct from apparently similar work done by police, lawyers, auditors, and regulatory bodies in that it is not limited as to target, not legally founded and closely connected to publicity."[7]

Terminology

Main article: Muckraker

American journalism textbooks point out that muckraking standards promoted by McClure's Magazine around 1902, "Have become integral to the character of modern investigative journalism."[8] Furthermore, the successes of the early muckrakers continued to inspire journalists.[9][10]

Examples

Notable investigative reporters

Awards

Bureaus, centers, and institutes for investigations

Television programs

See also

References

  1. ↑ Vasilyeva, Natalya; Anderson, Mae (3 April 2016). "News Group Claims Huge Trove of Data on Offshore Accounts". The New York Times. Associated Press. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  2. ↑ "About the ICIJ". The Center for Public Integrity. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  3. 1 2 "About". ICIJ. 6 April 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  4. 1 2 ICIJ, About the ICIJ
  5. ↑ "Gerard Ryle". Center for Public Integrity.
  6. ↑ Steve Weinberg, The Reporter's Handbook: An Investigator's Guide to Documents and Techniques, St. Martin's Press, 1996
  7. ↑ Investigative Journalism: Context and Practice, Hugo de Burgh (ed), Routledge, London and New York, 2000
  8. ↑ W. David Sloan; Lisa Mullikin Parcell (2002). American Journalism: History, Principles, Practices. McFarland. pp. 211–213..
  9. ↑ Cecelia Tichi. Exposés and Excess: Muckraking in America, 1900/2000 (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013).
  10. ↑ Stephen Hess (2012). Whatever Happened to the Washington Reporters, 1978-2012.
  11. ↑ "A New Hospital for the Insane" (Dec., 1876). Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
  12. ↑ "The Color of Money". Powerreporting.com. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  13. ↑ Godlee F, Smith J, Marcovitch H (2011). "Wakefield's article linking MMR vaccine and autism was fraudulent". BMJ. 342:c7452: c7452. doi:10.1136/bmj.c7452. PMID 21209060.
  14. ↑ Ziv, Stav (10 February 2015). "Andrew Wakefield, Father of the Anti-Vaccine Movement, Responds to the Current Measles Outbreak for the First Time". Newsweek. New York. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  15. ↑ Boseley, Sarah (2 February 2010). "Lancet retracts 'utterly false' MMR paper". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  16. ↑ Crewdson, John (1996-06-30). "Cardiac Arrest at 37,000 Feet". chicagotribune.com.
  17. ↑ Kovach, Bill, and Tom Rosenstiel. Blur: How to Know What's True in the Age of Information Overload. New York: Bloomsbury USA, 2010. p. 58-60. Print.
  18. ↑ http://www.giornalismoinvestigativo.eu/
  19. ↑ McChesney, Robert W. (2004). The Problem of the Media: U.S. Communication Politics in the 21st century. Monthly Review Press. p. 81. ISBN 1-58367-105-6., citing Just, Marion; Levine, Rosalind; Regan, Kathleen (Nov–Dec 2002), "Investigative Journalism Despite the Odds", Columbia Journalism Review: 103ff

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