What Investigative Reporting Entails

With the political atmosphere in the United States becoming increasingly divisive, there's a need for journalists to investigate the truth of the various claims being made. In this post, we'll talk about what investigative reporting entails and how it can provide an important check on those in power.

Investigative journalism is not new - you can trace its roots back to as early as 1912 when muckrakers used undercover investigative journalism to uncover corruption in European monarchies before spreading throughout Europe and North America. But with rapid advances in technology over recent decades, it has become easier than ever for journalists to expose wrongdoing.

While investigative journalism is often used to go after wealth and influence, it can also be very useful in uncovering wrongdoing by governments, corporations and individuals. It is this latter area that we focus on today.

There are many different types of investigative journalism. The most common are about lies told by public officials, omission of information from the public record, intellectual property theft by corporations and wrongdoings by individuals. investigative reporting done on these issues has led to a number of high-profile cases towards holding those accountable for their actions. One common method reporters use is in-depth reports focused on an ongoing case or series of related events.

Investigative reporting has a reputation for being the most in-depth and complex type of journalism. That's because it generally involves sifting through large amounts of data, tracking down leads and interviewing sources. To do this effectively, investigative journalists usually have a strong background in story research and have the ability to set up an investigation that can be as time-consuming as it is fruitful.

A chart published in the Washington Post in February of 2015 shows that investigative reporting is also more common when it comes to major news sources. The Post's review of the "10 most important [readers'] local news sites" found that 4 out of 10 were devoted to investigative journalism. This represents a significant rise from previous years, when the number of such stories was slightly lower (the Post itself has not been able on occasion to publish all the stories it had planned).

Investigative journalism faces some criticism. Personally, I had a bias against it for a long time. I thought it was unnecessary and that there were other types of journalism that were more important. But after exploring the profession, I've realized that investigative reporting is an incredibly important part of the media landscape today. It not only holds government accountable but also helps to educate the public about important issues by providing a balanced perspective on events.

These are just some aspects of investigative journalism and if you're interested in learning more, this post is a good place to start. It covers why investigative reporting is necessary, what it means to be an investigative journalist and what goes into an in-depth report.

Remember to take the time to read other posts about what investigative journalism entails. You can also check out our helpful list of investigative reporting links.

Title: Investigating: What Investigative Reporting Entails

(Submitted by Matt Haskell)

What investigative journalism entails. If you have ever heard of a case being broke by the media to bring attention to an issue you may have not realized what occurs at each step of the process. This month we will take a look at what goes into an investigation and how it is put together.

Investigative journalism requires a lot more than just deciding on a story and writing it up, there are many different stages that need to be taken before you end up with a finished article or breaking story. What does investigative journalism entail?

First and foremost you need to decide what type of story you want to investigate. For example, if you are investigating a neighborhood watch that is doing nothing but harassing people as they leave their homes after dark, this would qualify as a crime. Most stories that are investigated at the local level follow a similar process to get them published. To get the news out there you have to start off with some type of interview or by getting statements from those involved. Next, once you have an idea for what sort of story it is going to be about, you will have to do your story research. This is usually done through gathering documents or just talking to other sources. You may also have to go back and look at previous stories that have been written about the issue, especially those concerning the same person, group or societal group that your story will be about.

It might also be necessary for you to gather evidence before you choose a story. After all, it would not be very helpful to write a story about something that happened but was never proved (or at least was never proven as fact by police or the media). It is often a good idea to get the other side of the story before you go ahead with your investigation. This will allow you to know what to expect should your story run into opposition.

Once you have gathered enough information and have quotes from all concerned parties, as well as any other information that might be pertinent, it is time to write up your story. In writing up your story, presenting all the evidence and making sure it remains objective while still showing a clear picture of what happened is of utmost importance. If done correctly not only will you have a great base for your article or story but you may also see proof or confirmation that what occurred was in fact a crime (or something else).

Conclusion:

There are many more stages that go into an investigation and what it entails, but we covered the main ones that most stories have in common. Now that you know some of the basics of investigative journalism, you can think about what kind of subject matter interests you and start your own investigation. You may have to do a lot of research, but if done correctly you will get all the proof needed to write the story up and even get it published in a major paper. It can be fun and very rewarding when done correctly so don't be afraid to try it out.