Investigative
journalism fosters a corny, clichéd view of the field: Hours of late night
research, undisclosed documents, uncovering secrets of fraud and corruption,
exchanging covert information in the shadows of an underground car park
(literally). But in the modern day and age our news is increasingly digitized,
instant, and confined to 140 character tweets. So where does investigative
journalism fit?
In
the digital age, the media cycle is “fast, and focused on breaking news”
(Carson, 2013 p. 18). Time, cost and commitment to authenticating a story all
pose a huge threat to the area of investigative journalism (Carson, 2013 p. 18).
We read our news stories on our iPhones and tablets; breaking updates come from
twitter; the industry is in a constant state of change resulting in a decline
of more traditional news practice.
So
what about the importance of investigative journalism? Can the industry survive
without it or is it necessary to serve as the fourth estate? “At its best, investigative journalism provides
transparency and accountability of public figures and institutions. It shines
light where cover-ups and corruption prosper” (Carson, 2013 p. 15). While not
every lead is validated, investigative journalism has exposed the wrongdoing of
those in positions of power, from the recent ICAC enquiry of the Australian
Labor Party, to more high profile cases, the most infamous perhaps the
Watergate Scandal leading to the resignation of former U.S. president Richard
Nixon.
This particular piece
epitomized the role of investigative journalism as a public watchdog. Compiled
from the work of American journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein (Wall
Street Journal, 2012), the work revealed corruption in the Republican government
in relation to the burglary of the Watergate Hotel in 1972 (The Washington Post, 2014). As the story would have it, an informant who went by the alias ‘Deep
Throat,’ later revealed as FBI associate director Mark Felt, leaked the
information to Woodward and Bernstein (Wall Street Journal, 2012). This work
came to be after months of research and verifying said research. It was two
years from the breaking of the story that President Nixon ultimately resigned
(The Washington Post, 2014). Today’s journalism landscape hardly affords the
time, resources and commitment to this kind of in-depth story.
What would this story be
like in the digital age? Mr. Woodward asked this exact question to a selection
of tech- savvy journalism students, and the answer they gave he jokingly
claimed, “was the closest I’ve ever come to having an aneurism” (The Wall
Street Journal, 2012). “Oh you would use the internet” (The Wall Street Journal, 2012). But the net doesn’t offer this type of convoluted information; the
answers aren’t hidden in the confines of a Google search. As Mr. Wooward puts
it, “the truth resides with people”
(cited in Wall Street Journal, 2012).
Image Source: http://techpresident.com/news/22031/watergate-and-internet-cautionary-tale-bob-woodward
So it’s slightly uncertain
whether the Internet is a friend or foe of investigative journalism in the
digital age. While it can offer a publishing platform and act as an aggregated
research tool, the so-called ‘twitterisation’ of news may see the end of costly
investigative pieces in favor of short, continuous updates of breaking news
(Posetti, 2013). All journalists work under certain constraints. Political and
economic limitations as well as the working practice of a journalist to be
“first with the facts” bind those in the industry to certain styles (Flemming
cited by de Burgh, 2013 p. 169). In an industry that’s financially vulnerable,
there is a move away from costly work such as investigative pieces and a focus
on profit. The business model for the digital future doesn’t seem to leave much
room (or funds) for old school journalism.
I’ve always thought of
journalism as a somewhat public service, informing the public about the public.
Investigative journalism seems like a necessity in performing this role. This
article below explores some of the woes like funding, political boundaries,
libel laws and a ‘lack of editorial nerve’ threatening the extinction of
investigative journalism.
Much like the car park Deep
Throat and Woodward exchanged information, its shadowy where investigative
journalism is heading. Many media critics would argue it’s crucial for the role
of journalism, but in a changing industry, it’s more a matter of time and money
as to whether investigative journalism can hang around.
References:
Carson, A. (2013). History of Investigative Journalism in Australia. In N. Richardson & S. Tanner (Eds.), Journalism Research and Investigation in a Digital World (pp. 10-24). Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Flemming, C. (2013). Journalism and New Technology. In H. de Burgh (Ed.), Investigative Journalism (pp. 169-185). London: Routledge.
Posetti, J. (2013). The 'Twitterisation of Investigative Journalism. In N. Richardson & S. Tanner (Eds.), Journalism Research and Investigation in a Digital World (pp. 88-100). Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Wall Street Journal. (2012). Before Watergate Could Be Googled. Retrieved 14 August, 2014, from http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304356604577341883244096256?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304356604577341883244096256.html
The Washington Post. (2014). The Watergate Story. Retrieved 14 August, 2014, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/watergate/timeline.html
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