Investigative journalism, also called enterprise, in-depth, or project reporting, is a specialized form of news writing that uses thorough research and analysis to uncover hidden truths, expose corruption, misconduct, and injustice. This type of journalism is critical to democracy and is used as a tool for holding individuals, institutions, and governments accountable by launching public debates, sparking reforms, and driving social change.
Investigations involve a complex web of factors including access to and understanding of large datasets, collaboration with whistleblowers who disclose information without fear of retribution, in-depth interviews, and meticulous fact-checking. These investigations can often take months or even years to complete, and they require significant time, financial resources, and dedicated teams to carry out.
The best investigative journalists are passionate, tenacious, and well versed in journalism’s principles, values, and ethics. They are also excellent at documenting and sourcing their work. They have a “documents state of mind,” which is an understanding that there are documents (and now data) that support every claim made by an official or company, and they always keep this in mind while pursuing leads.
Those interested in becoming an investigative journalist need a strong foundation in reporting, which includes earning a journalism degree and gaining experience by reporting for a newspaper. While it is possible for some investigative journalists to focus solely on investigating stories, most find that they need to do regular reporting as part of their jobs and use the time for investigations to supplement the rest of their work.
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