Why investigative reporting in the digital age is waving, not drowning
Despite media companies’ revenue declining in recent years, a nine-year study reveals that the greatly feared death of investigative journalism has not occurred, writes Andrea Carson in this crossposting from The Conversation.
You don’t need to look far to find doom and gloom stories about traditional media in the digital age. Yet linking media hardship to a view that investigative journalism is dying is a misconception.
Yes, media outlets face many challenges. Last week’s 600-page ACCC report showed traditional media organisations face a difficult economic environment as advertising and audiences have migrated to online tech giants like Google and Facebook.
Since the turn of the century, media companies’ revenue has been in free fall. Thousands of journalism jobs have gone, scores of mastheads have closed. Certain types of reporting, particularly on regional and local news, remain under threat for established Australian media outlets.
Then there were the recent Australian Federal Police raids on News Corp and ABC journalists, highlighting the political and legal pressures reporters face in the post-September 11 era.
I’ve always hated the term “investigative reporting” because it stinks of arrogance. We’re not like those plebs rewriting press releases, it suggests, we’re the real journos doing the proper stuff. As if those reporters having to churn out ten stories a day are doing this by choice. What journalist doesn’t seek to get a scoop? What journalist doesn’t crave the time and resources to write something they’re proud of?
Meanwhile, phrases such as evidence-based journalism are absurd – all journalism is, or at least should be, evidence-based and investigative. Obviously. It’s like saying you’re a run-scoring batsman, a target-beating salesperson or a chef who’s not too shabby in the kitchen, thank you very much.
The problem with funnelling money towards these investigative journalism units is that it inevitably hurts the other reporters and journalists on the ground. It creates a them-and-us situation in an organisation, and these become increasingly elitist. As the industry contracts, this divide only exacerbates.
Forget the investigative journalists – how are the rookie journos to get their break if they’re never given the chance to compete for the good stuff in the first place?