JOUR1111-Lecture 12

Investigative journalism is something that I've previously thought is a redundant term. My notion of journalism has always valued it as an inherently investigative practice.

Lecture 12 was extremely engaging because it managed to clarify the profession of investigative journalism.

Dr Bruce first outlined the in's of journalism.

Be intelligent- Plan how a story will be approached
Be informed- Know the facts of a story, the background, the people involved and the reasons behind events.
Be intuitive- Rely on your gut feeling.
Get inside- Do not trust the source, question information.
Invest- Be willing to commit time to the story.

There are several elements that distinguish investigative journalism:

Critical and thorough journalism - Journalist is an active participant, considerable effort
Custodians of conscience- Exposing the story, testing ethics, exposing the "civic vice" to the public.
Voice of the public, make the powerful accountable- Concern for the public interest and social justice.
Fourth estate- Responsible for being the "watchdog" of the government. The fourth branch of government.

Trailblazers

Trailblazers are an example of the social monitoring and watchdog role that investigative journalism plays. Trailblazers are people who change the way things happen by setting a new agenda or changing the norms They forge a new path for society
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Whistleblower's attempts at being honest are often suppressed by a corrupt culture. It is the job of investigative journalists to expose this.

The Global Mail is an example of investigative journalism that is available to Australians. They have the resources and invest the time into pursuing stories so that they may address deeper more pertinent issues.

Question everything

"If your mother says she loves you, check it out". This phrase embodies the mentality required by an investigative journalist. One must be willing to critically analyse the source of any information. This is the pretence and the nature of investigative journalism.

In summary, this lecture taught me;

PR= The decline of investigative journalism

Internet research does not proved the depth of a quality source.

Journalists must be sceptical but not cynical.

The pr vs journalism battle continues to rage.

Investigative journalism requires going beyond th