The Future of Investigative Journalism Symposium Centre for Conflict Resolution Journalism/NUJ/SIPTU Liberty Hall, 2 No!

ember 2"#

Rita $%Reilly, Reporter, &Prime Time, Current 'ffairs, RT(

T)in*in+ about ,)at to say to-ay, an- arme- ,it) .ust t)e title, I as*eour /0year0ol-1 2)en ,e +ot o!er t)e bit about ,)at t)e title meant, s)e loo*e- me strai+)t in t)e eye an- as*e- 3Can you tell t)e future45 3No5, I sai-1 S)e ,al*e- off1

6espite t)at, t)ere are a fe, t)in+s I -o feel I can pre-ict1 So base- solely on my personal e7perience in t)e ten years since I .oine- RT( for t)e first series of Prime Time Investigates, )ere%s my forecast1

$ne is t)at in ten year%s time, in!esti+ati!e .ournalism in Irelan- ,ill be utterly c)an+e-1 In 2"2 , your me-ia )ori8on ,ill be cluttere- ,it) c)oice, an- your me-ia platforms present ,)ere!er you are, inte+ral to your minutes, your )ours1

9ou ,ill be -ra,n to a -ominant fe, by ease of access an- by ,ell0,orn )abit1 9ou%ll fin- it )ar- to s)a*e off )istorical attac)ment an- loyalty to

ol- bran-s, but if tra-itional me-ia )a!e not years since rapi-ly mo!e-, not .ust to occupy t)at lan-scape but to pus) its frontiers, t)ey ,ill be ,ea* actors, s)a-o,s on t)e sta+e, loyalty be -amne-1 9ou ,ill in any case +rant e:ual status to t)eir ne, peers, bran-s t)at by t)en ,ill )a!e more t)an pro!en t)eir ,ort)1 T)at you ,ill )a!e ,itnesse- t)em e7pan-in+ t)e )ori8on t)at t)e ol- bran-s ,ere force- to, *ic*in+ anscreamin+, .oin, ,ill only en)ance t)e ne, bran-s% status, an- your loyalty to t)em ,ill be infectious1

;ut your )un+er for content ,ill not c)an+e an- you ,ill -ri!e t)e me-ia, relentless in its pursuit of -ross, to -eli!er content, -espite itself1

T)e future is bri+)t1 'n- it ,ill ,it)out -oubt inclu-e in!esti+ati!e .ournalism1 In t)e main, it ,ill ta*e some effort on your part to +et be)in- t)e curtains to in!esti+ati!e content but you ,ill -o t)at, because your )un+er ,ill be no -ifferent from to-ay1 It is !ital <but not at all pre-ictable= t)at you ,ill not )a!e to pay for t)e pri!ile+e1

;ut ,)en you -o +et be)in- t)ose curtains, you ,ill be re,ar-e- ,it) .ournalism -eli!ere- ,it) some of t)e ric)est content an- conte7t money can%t buy1 To safely pre-ict t)is I only )a!e to loo* at ,)at is possible but lar+ely not -eli!ere- to-ay an- see it ma-e e!en more possible by better, c)eaper tec)nolo+y tomorro,1

;ut my secon- safe pre-iction is t)at ,)ile e!eryt)in+ ,ill be c)an+eutterly, e!eryt)in+ ,ill stay t)e same1 So> ,)en it comes to me-ia, ,e li!e in a monarc)y, an- content ,ill fore!er be *in+1 2)en it comes to content, t)at most pus)e- upon you ,ill continue to be t)at most -resse- up 0 s*imme- mil* ,ill continue to mas:uera-e as cream1 'n-, because in!esti+ati!e .ournalism costs a lot to -eli!er, it ,ill continue to be financially s:uee8e-1 ;ecause in!esti+ati!e .ournalism sometimes s)ines a li+)t un-er t)e spin, on past ,ron+s, on taboos, on pri!ile+e, on po,er, it ,ill continue to sit uneasily ,it)in an- outsi-e t)e me-ia in-ustry1 Not .ust ,it) t)ose politicians, paymasters an- PR )an-lers of ,)om some pay it lip ser!ice, but also ,it)in t)e me-ia stables t)emsel!es t)at rely on t)ose sources, sometimes for t)eir !ery sur!i!al, an- in all cases, for t)eir -aily brea-, t)e -aily -iet of stories fe- to correspon-ents an- ne,s -es*s1 So ,)en you as* me to a--ress t)e future of in!esti+ati!e .ournalism an)o, it may be stren+t)ene- an- supporte- ,it)in t)e conte7t of public ser!ice broa-castin+, )ere are my t)ou+)ts>

$n t)is ne, )ori8on t)at )as us blin*in+ our eyes to a-.ust, forms of in!esti+ati!e publis)in+, suc) as p)ilant)ropic supporte- sites, centres for in!esti+ation, solo in!esti+ations by campai+nin+ +roups, :uality -ocumentaries an- in!esti+ati!e ra-io pro+rammes an- content from ;;C NI, UT? an- T? are e7citin+ but ,ill not be enou+)1 It ,ill ta*e more1

;ra!e, tireless freelance ,arriors of t)e net <a topical one, @a!in S)eri-an, on a topical issue, A$I costs= ,ill not be enou+)1 It ,ill ta*e more1

'll t)ese forms floatin+ li*e separate islan-s ,ill not be enou+)1

Irelan- nee-s broa-castin+ in t)e ser!ice of t)e public, )o,e!er, ,)ere!er, it is -eli!ere-1

T)at broa-castin+ ,ill continue to nee- public fun-in+ to -o its .ob, an Iris) stall in a +lobal !illa+e of content, ,)ere si8e -oes not matter, but aut)ority, en+a+ement, inno!ation an- t)e Bn+lis) lan+ua+e -oes1 'n- in t)e ser!ice of t)e public, t)at broa-castin+ ,ill continue to nee- a stron+ in!esti+ati!e element1

I belie!e from my e7perience t)at in fairness, if t)e future is bri+)t for Iris) in!esti+ati!e .ournalism, it%s not least because of t)e RT(%s current commitment to it1

;ut )ere%s one e7ample of ,)y money an- resources are t)e t)in+> ' minute of in!esti+ati!e content on tele!ision ,ill often )a!e )ours, -ays or sometimes ,ee*s of ,or*, be)in- it, ne!er min- years1 In t)e clamour for less staff -oin+ more multi0tas*in+, .ust ,)o -o you t)in* is +oin+ to pro!i-e t)ose resources4

Here%s anot)er> ,e li!e in a +ol-fis) bo,l1 $ften, t)ose ,)o ,is) to co!er up ,ron+-oin+ or )i-e t)e trut) rely on +ol-fis) memories1 T)eir assumption t)at people for+et is often ric)ly re,ar-e-1 T)is is partly a factor of t)e me-ia%s o,n -esire to sell e!ery story as ne, 0 ,)ere sometimes, it is t)e me-ia itself ,)ic) ,ants to present ne,s -e!oi- of conte7t, or -C.D !u, simply so to present it as -ramatic an- ne,1

In a--ition, t)ere%s t)e me-ia fee-in+ cycle, often recyclin+ t)e same content for -ays on en-1 ' sin+le snip or spin can )url a trut) into t)e fee-in+ trou+), ,)ere t)e circlin+ me-ia re+ur+itate it, sen-in+ it once more aroun- t)e merry0+o0roun-, to return in yet more -istorte- form1

' public ser!ice broa-caster is ,ell place- to a--ress t)ese imbalances, to carry remin-ers, to carry actuality content an- ric) conte7t t)at )elps our un-erstan-in+ more1 ;ut it means +ettin+ reliable content -irect from t)e rele!ant story an- )a!in+ a -i+ital -ocument an- film arc)i!e sufficiently tec)nically a-ept to be able to, ,it) spee- an- un-er pressure of -ea-lines, offer up conte7t t)at can be publis)e- online as supportin+ material to t)e actual broa-cast1 It seems li*e a small as*, but it ta*es money, so it%s bi+1

Spare a t)ou+)t too for t)e realities of resourcin+ E people1 B!en informecommentators often tal* of RT(%s !ast resources an- its teams of researc)ers for in!esti+ati!e ,or*1 It is -ifficult to s:uare t)ese claims ,it) t)e reality on t)e +roun-1 $f course once a story is in pro-uction, ,e

can rely on +ettin+ a pro-ucer, a camera cre,, a picture e-itor an- limite+rap)ics resources, but t)e ma.ority of )ours spent on in!esti+ati!e researc) are !ery often by a lone in-i!i-ual or t,o at most1

In t)e conte7t of unresource- freelance in!esti+ations t)at may seem a lu7ury, but bear in min-, because our content +oes out on t)e national broa-caster it is .u-+e- a+ainst t)e content of broa-casters on t)e ne7t islan- ,)ose bu-+ets are multiples of ours1

In t)e current conte7t, t)is is not a cry for more E it%s a plea for un-erstan-in+1

;ut beyon- financin+, resources, t)ere are bi++er t)reats to in!esti+ati!e .ournalism1 $ne is t)at unfortunately, its .ournalists are )uman1 T)ey may be trouble, t)ey are fre:uently unsociable, &-ifficult%1 'n- t)ey ma*e mista*es1 Here t)en is my list of ten t)in+s to ,atc) out for if you%re loo*in+ for an armoury to support or stren+t)en in!esti+ati!e .ournalism to-ay or in-ee-, t)in*in+ about a future in in!esti+ati!e .ournalism1

1. There will be Trouble. In!esti+ati!e .ournalism is trouble E it ta*es trouble to -o it, lon+ )ours, late ni+)ts, an al,ays0on e7istence, a rollercoaster life of a fe, pea*s anmany trou+)s1 Its .ournalists too can be trouble, sometimes e!en for t)eir o,n employers1

'n- so t)ey are !ulnerable1 So let me )ear no more of t)e ,)ispere- e7cuses for ,)y .ournalist @emma $%6o)erty is ,it)out a .ob after ,ell o!er a -o8en years ,it) t)e Iris) In-epen-ent E ,)at )as )appene- to )er is ine7cusable an- ,ill be pro!en to be so in +oo- time1

2. Forget it ? Never. In!esti+ati!e .ournalism refuses to for+et it1 ;ut its persistence sometimes pays off1 If you ,ant a :uiet life, for+et it1

3. Not Going Away

ou !now

In!esti+ati!e .ournalism al,ays )as ,illin+ recruits, so it ,ill sur!i!e1

". The #urse of ab$i#ate$ res%onsibility Ne!er un-erestimate t)e ability of a society, a +o!ernment, an aut)ority, an- sometimes, e!en an e-itor, to ab-icate responsibility1 Ne!er stop remin-in+ t)em of it1

&.

ou're on your own

T)is applies in e:ual parts to bot) in!esti+ati!e .ournalists an,)istleblo,ers, especially t)ose up a+ainst corporate +iants or t)e state itself1 T)e )u+e bac*0up team or t)e illusion of safety an- support is lar+ely a myt)1 It%s -o,n to you1 Fin- t)e +ap1 'n- +o for it1

(. Journalists) not *o#ial +or,ers In!esti+ati!e .ournalists meet !ery !ulnerable people in all ,al*s ansta+es of life an- persua-e t)em to s)are t)eir li!es ,it) t)e ,orl-1 'n.ournalists% sources sometimes )a!e -ysfunctional personalities or li!es1 Journalists can%t preten- t)ey%re social ,or*ers1 T)ey%re not1 Fost times, t)e -ay after t)e story +oes out, t)ey%ll be +one1

-. Te#hnology is a Frien$ 'n in!esti+ati!e .ournalist can%t be a stic* in t)e mu-1 Fo!e on1 Tec)nolo+y can )elp you a +reat -eal1 T)e ol- ,ays of -oin+ it are not t)e best <but you%ll still nee- to -o t)em as bac* up=

.. /earn to 0o%e with 0ute hoorism ;ein+ naturally +ifte- ,it) lan+ua+e, t)e Iris) can be t)e best at !iolatin+ t)e essence of trut)1 Not)in+ is ,)at it seems, e7cept sometimes ,)en it is1

1. Investigative 2ournalism 3 2ournalism. T)e in!esti+ati!e .ournalism of t)e future ,ill be no -ifferent from t)e pastG it%s not)in+ special, .ust basic .ournalism1 's* t)e ri+)t :uestions1 See* ans,ers1 $n t)e ne, )ori8on, in!esti+ati!e .ournalists ,ill be -oin+ ,)at t)ey%!e al,ays -one> as C)risty Foore ,oul- say E 6i++in+, -i++in+, -i++in+ <$, -i li--le -o=1

14.

5e$estals are for *tatues

6on%t put anybo-y on a pe-estal> people on pe-estals +et *noc*e- off1 Support an- stren+t)en .ournalism an- its constant stru++le for in-epen-ent, impartial, accurate an- fair content an- you ,ill support in!esti+ati!e reportin+ too1

$n t)at note, in t)in*in+ about ,)at to say to-ay, I also as*e- my lon+0 sufferin+ partner ,)at coul- be -one to )elp in!esti+ati!e reporters in t)e future1 3Stop -i++in+5, s)e sai-1 'n- s)e ,al*e- off1

en-