INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

WHAT IS INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM? is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, 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 done by newspapers, wire services and freelance journalists. Practitioners sometimes use the terms "watchdog journalism" or "accountability reporting."

 Investigative journalism is finding, reporting and

presenting news which other people try to hide. It is very similar to standard news reporting, except that the people at the center of the story will usually not help you and may even try to stop you doing your job.
The job of journalists is to let people know what is

going on in the community, the society and the world around them. Journalists do this by finding facts and telling them to their readers or listeners.

 In much of their work, the facts are easy to

find in such places as the courts and parliaments, disasters, public meetings, churches and sporting events. People are usually happy to provide journalists with news. Indeed, in many countries, thousands of people work full time in public relations, giving statements, comments, press releases and other forms of information to journalists.

 Throughout the world, though, there are still a lot of

things happening which people want to keep secret. In most cases these are private things which have no impact on other people - such as relations within a family or a bad report from school. These personal things can remain secret.
In many other cases, governments, companies,

organisations and individuals try to hide decisions or events which affect other people. When a journalist tries to report on matters which somebody wants to keep secret, this is investigative journalism.

The great British newspaper

publisher Lord Northcliffe once said: News is what somebody, somewhere wants to suppress; all the rest is advertising.

 Analysis of documents, such as lawsuits and other legal documents, tax records, government reports, regulatory reports and corporate financial filings. Databases of public records. Investigation of technical issues, including scrutiny of government and business practices and their effects. Research into social and legal issues

 Subscription research sources such as LexisNexis ( a

corporation that provides computer assisted legal research).

Numerous interviews with on-the-record sources as

well as, in some instances, interviews with anonymous sources (for example whistleblowers).
Federal or state Freedom of Information Acts to get

documents and data from government agencies.

People have a right to know

about the society in which they live. They have a right to know about decisions which may affect them, even if people in power want to keep them secret.

 People in power - whether in

government, the world of commerce, or any other group in society - can abuse that power. They can be corrupt, steal money, break laws and do all sorts of things which harm other people. They might just be incompetent and unable to do their job properly. They will usually try to keep this knowledge secret. Journalists try to expose such abuse.

 Journalists also have a duty to watch

how well people in power perform their jobs, especially those who have been elected to public office. Journalists should constantly ask whether such people are keeping their election promises. Politicians and others who are not keeping their promises may try to hide the fact; journalists should try to expose it.