Investigative journalism is a highly specialized form of reporting that goes beyond breaking news and includes in-depth research, fact-checking, and analysis to uncover hidden truths and expose corruption, misconduct, and wrongdoing. It is a critical part of the democratic process and plays a key role in holding those in power accountable.
Investigating can take months, if not years, and it’s important to keep in mind that an investigation doesn’t need to be massive to be effective: small-scale investigations are also valuable when they’re done well. The muckraker articles of McClure’s magazine around the turn of the century, to IRE’s defining work in the 1960s, to today’s global collaborative investigations—including the Panama Papers, Offshore Leaks, and the Pandora Files—demonstrate how investigative techniques can be applied at any scale to hold those in power to account.
As an investigative journalist, it’s important to be aware of the ethical implications in each step of the process. It’s essential to uphold high ethical standards to protect your sources, to ensure their safety and privacy, and to respect their confidentiality.
For example, when reporter Ian Urbina investigated China’s illegal fishing in North Korea’s waters, he worked closely with data scientists to find that industrial squid boats were decimating the country’s squid stock. This collaboration helped him tell a story that went from incomprehensible to immersive, using detailed photographs, maps, and satellite imagery. And when journalist Timo Kollbrunner used recreated text messages to reveal the life of a boarding home worker, this use of immersive evidence helped the reader better connect with the story and understand what was at stake.
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