1. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
Dig a little deeper for a reason...

2. THE HISTORY OF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
How long have people been nosy?
Ok, that’s not the question…. But investigative reporting is one of those things that drives most people interested in journalism to be interested in journalism
Compelling stories
High impact
Shock factor
High engagement factor for reader
It’s the job of the press to discover and reveal in a responsible manner

3. HISTORY OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM
Ida Tarbell
One of the first investigative journalists
Exposed Standard Oil’s monopolistic practices
Helped dissolve Standard Oil’s monopoly

4. HISTORY OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM
David Halberstam
Exposed the truth about the lack of success against North Vietnam
Won a Pulitzer in 1964 for Vietnam coverage
“The job of the reporters in Vietnam was to report the news, whether or not the news was good for America.”

5. HISTORY OF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein
Broke the Watergate story
Led to the indictment of 40 administration officials
Led to the resignation of President Nixon

6. HOW-TO’S:
It’s not deadline driven - scandal or wrongdoing is always timely
Take your time
“Vet” your sources - make sure they are credible
Keep it simple
Investigative is not necessarily hard news that is written like hard news
No “featurey” flair
Write to the reader with the least knowledge
Don’t over complicate
Keep track of your sources and make sure there are copies and backups of everything

7. WHERE TO GET IDEAS: Hunch or hypothesis
Those reporter instincts kick in
“Something just seems… WRONG.”
A tip
Someone gives you a heads up
Make sure you can validate and verify EVERYTHING
Mining Data

8. MINING DATA
Look through information that already exists and look for anomalies
BE CAREFUL - sometimes what looks corrupt may just be a fluke
That would be why you INVESTIGATE!
Data gathered by the government is open and citizens have a right to see and obtain it

9. DATA AND DEALING WITH IT
Data can be very revealing but also very confusing
Consult real people to put it into context and perspective
If you don’t understand the data, ask someone who does understand it to help you understand
Talk to sources who are in a position to explain the data
Don’t rely on your own reading of the data
Remember - you are interpreting information to INFORM other people
Accuracy is absolutely required in investigative journalism and should be your MAIN CONCERN

10. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
Dig a little deeper for a reason...