All journalism is investigative. Facts are checked, quotes verified. However, the discipline called investigative journalism, requiring detective work, evidence, and a determination to follow the trail wherever it leads, can reveal crucial information benefiting the public interest. Typically this means exposing corruption and criminality in government or corporate leadership, but also may include findings on crime cartels, fringe political movements, or unsolved mysteries and disappearances.
A major investigation revolves around a command center, often called a war room. Editors, journalists, and researchers collaborate to plan and execute every step of a story in process, meeting in the war room as developments occur. After story-line and facts are finalized, the piece is prepared for publication. Concise writing that ties the essential elements into a coherent narrative is reviewed by the legal department. The executive editor makes the decisions on format and timing of release.
Once the story’s published, the process is not yet complete. Audience engagement, monitoring the impact the story's publication has on readership, and the readiness for potential follow up stories continue this arduous, yet vital, process.
However, the strenuousness of publishing an exposé persists as powerful interests often use money and connections to suppress negative investigative stories. Methods of intimidation include strategic lawsuits, government intervention, funding withdrawals and personal pressure built up on journalists and editors.
Despite this, numerous journalists have made significant contributions to the field with an unwavering commitment to truth and the relentless pursuit of stories that might otherwise remain hidden. The investigative journalism of Washington Post's Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein into political corruption led to the Watergate scandal (1972), leading to President Nixon's resignation.
Another pioneering journalist known for her investigative work, documenting lynching in the United States, is Ida B. Wells, who advocated for civil rights and equality. Seymour Hersh broke the story of the 1968 My Lai massacre in Vietnam for the independent Dispatch News Service, which distributed it to the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Miami Herald, and others. His later investigative work for the New York Times and the New Yorker work is widely acclaimed.
The list of prominent investigative journalists is extensive: David Barstow, Julian Assange, Ronan Farrow, Lowell Bergman, Ida Tarbell, Frederick and Bastien Obermaier, Jane Mayer, Nellie Bly, Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, and Barton Gellman.
At its core, investigative journalism is a beacon of accountability, holding individuals, institutions, and governments responsible for their actions. Hence, the emergence of standalone investigative reporting newsrooms came into play in the 1900s. Among the pristine nonprofits are Center for Investigative Reporting, Bellingcat, Frontline, Arizona Center For Investigative Reporting, Center For Investigative Reporting (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Canadian Association of Journalists, and Center For Investigative Journalism UK.
Lowell Bergman, Dan Noyes, and David Weir founded the first US nonprofit newsroom in 1977 in Berkeley, California, The Center for Investigative Reporting [CIR]. They established this nonprofit model to foster in-depth, groundbreaking reporting that delves into socially significant public interest stories
Emerging soon after, Frontline, a long-running investigative documentary series on PBS has been pivotal in shaping American television journalism. Launched in 1983, it stands as one of the foremost platforms for in-depth, comprehensive investigative reporting. The series has earned numerous awards, including multiple Emmys and Peabodys.
Nonprofit investigative newsrooms have been part of a remarkable global expansion.
Bellingcat, a pioneering investigative journalism organization based in Amsterdam, is known for innovative use of open-source intelligence and digital verification techniques. Bellingcat started as a small blog but swiftly gained international recognition for groundbreaking investigations into such subjects as the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine.
In the digital age, investigative journalism has evolved with the internet creating an expansion of research avenues and information gathering, which offers new tools for analysis and data visualization. Additionally, the rise of citizen journalism and open-source investigations has altered the field, allowing for collaborative efforts in uncovering and sharing information globally.
“In brief, the internet has democratized information access,” said Eliot Higgins, the British citizen-journalist who founded Bellingcat in 2014, “allowing investigative journalists to harness a wealth of data and connect with sources globally. Social media platforms, while occasionally serving as vectors for misinformation, have also proved invaluable for crowd-sourced investigations and for bringing underreported stories to the forefront. The evolution of these tools has been rapid and transformative, making investigative journalism more accessible yet also more complex.”
Higgins seems hopeful. “We anticipate further integration of technology in investigative practices, with an emphasis on data security and ethical considerations. The role of AI, big data, and user-generated content will likely become more pronounced, requiring journalists to adapt continuously to these evolving tools.”
Investigative journalism also faces internal struggles, such as shrinking budgets and other financial constraints. But, nonprofit newsrooms typically follow a grant funding model. Many nonprofits receive grants funding general operations or specific projects. Foundations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Park Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Knight Foundation are significant donor Investigative journalism nonprofit donors. Additionally, nonprofit newsrooms encourage donations from readers and subscribers..
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