Investigative journalism
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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. It is the type of journalism that involves a lot of scrutiny and fact finding. 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. Where the tools are concerned you as a journalist should have an analytical and incisive mind, a lot of self motivation, and you should be physically and mentally agile.
The exact definition tends to differ, although most definitions tend to include uncovering information that would be detrimental to someone else that was being hidden.
The 'Insight' team of "The Sunday Times" achieved great renown in the 1960s for its exposure of Public Health scandals, most notably Thalidomide. Paul Foot used his columns in "The Daily Mirror" and "Private Eye" to expose miscarriages of justice.
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."
Some of the means reporters can use for their fact-finding:
- studying neglected sources, such as archives, phone records, address books, tax records and license records.
- anonymous sources (for example whistleblowers)
- going undercover
