Over the years, veteran reporters have stated that investigative journalism is dying and as a result, so is democracy. Investigative journalism is imperative in keeping politicians, corporations and large organisations in check, but are the frequent claims by both academics and experienced reporters regarding the death of investigative journalism valid?
Investigative is a branch of journalism which involves deeply investigating an incident or a serious of related incidents. Investigative journalism is a tedious, tiring but eventually rewarding profession, as reporters can spend anywhere from months to years investigating a single story. However, the truth that is unveiled from these investigations is a great matter of satisfaction for these reporters as well as the acclaim they receive from it.
Investigative journalism serves the purpose to provide truth about the government, corporations and various other organisations. It helps to ensure that all entities in a society are held accountable and liable for their actions.
Investigative journalism gave birth to the discovery of several major scandals and news stories which had major repercussions for various figures and organisations. Famously, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post uncovered the Watergate scandal which prompted an impeachment investigation into then-US President Richard Nixon’s role in covering up corruption and caused him to resign. Many journalists called it the greatest piece of investigative journalism of all time and the investigation done by Woodward and Bernstein was the basis of the 1976 movie All The President’s Men. It has been reported that after All The President’s Men was released, interest in investigative journalism among university students spiked, while the movie saw Woodward and Bernstein become celebrities. The movie also gave rise to one of the most famous catchphrases in cinematic history known as ‘follow the money’. Since then, the catchphrase has been used by reporters in several investigations.
The Church’s aid in protecting sexually abusive priests both in the US and abroad is another famous story unearthed by investigative journalism. Reporters at the Boston Globe – in 2002 – found that although the percentage of sexually abusive priests towards children was 5% of all priests (5% is also general average of child sexual abusers in US), the Church did not punish these priests. Instead, they moved the priests from one parish to another to cover up the story. This investigation led to massive changes in the way the Church is run, and many priests were prosecuted and charged for breaking laws in several countries. This investigation was the focal point of the 2015 Oscar-winning movie Spotlight.
Recently, the Panama Papers investigation unveiled major information into how key politicians and businessmen use offshore accounts to avoid taxes, embezzle money or for corruption purposes. The Panama Papers had major ramifications for several leaders around the world including former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who was forced to resign after the Pakistani Supreme Court disqualified him from office based on several findings – some of which linked to the Panama Papers.
Many other stories have become popular over the last century thanks to investigative journalism ranging from investigations into organised crime to USA’s war contracts during the Afghanistan and Iraq war (basis of the movie ‘War Dogs’).
The advent of internet has meant that traditional journalism has lost its importance with revenues from print journalism decreasing. Although some of these revenues have been recovered through online journalism now, revenues of journalism firms are still down overall. Despite this, front-page stories resulting from deep researches or investigative journalism have increased from 1.3% in 1991 to 4.5% in 2011 as per Columbia Journalism Review.
Moreover, the process of investigative journalism itself has evolved. Previously, investigative journalists would meet secretly with informants, sources or whistleblowers for information often trying to hide their tracks or make sure they are not followed. This process has now been replaced with contacting sources across the internet which not only saves time but does not require as much physical effort. However, Edward Snowden’s leaks regarding the USA’s National Intelligence Agency gave a warning to investigative journalists all over the world to increase their internet protection, so that they are not being watched by authorities of power.
Still, at the core of it, investigative journalism is more or less the same as it was before the internet. It still involves the routine carefulness and attention to detail while digging through a story and going through the arduous act of finding sources who are willing to talk about what they know.
Many experienced reporters argue that investigative journalism is dying due to several reasons:
Some of these reasons can be considered valid, but the fact is that investigative journalism at its heart is very much the same as it has always been. There are always obstacles in the way for investigative journalists when discovering a story and due to the internet, some of these obstacles have changed so investigative journalists have had to adapt to. Ground-breaking stories will continue to be found as long as freedom of press is maintained.
Some veteran reporters feel that people believe in the myth of ‘investigative journalism is dying’, as not as many major stories are being uncovered nowadays. These reporters believe that investigative journalism went through a golden age since the Watergate Scandal which led to high expectations from journalists and the public, some of which have been met and others which have not. However, it does not mean that investigative journalism is dying, people simply set their standards too high.
Although freedom of press exists in Pakistan, the job of a journalist let alone investigative journalist is considered to be dangerous. Over the last few decades, many investigative journalists researching stories mostly surrounding corruption have been found dead with many others being laid off if they went too deep into their investigation. With many news firms having conflict of interests, they seemingly sensor information in investigations or do not fully reveal the truth. Witnesses or sources usually speak to media members and investigative journalists anonymously so that their lives or livelihood are not placed at risk. But the problem is being recognized and attention is being given to it by human rights organisations, so there is hope that one day Pakistani investigative journalists will be allowed to do their jobs with freedom and safety.
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