57198 Investigative Journalism

Description

This subject introduces students to investigative reporting, a style of journalism which probes deeper than most daily news journalism. Students familiarise themselves with research techniques which have proved useful to journalists pursuing in-depth stories, analyse and learn from investigative reporting by others, and solve problems that arise in stories through group discussion. The subject emphasises a hypothesis-based approach to identifying and researching stories, with a focus on practical problem solving in developing stories from conception to finished product. The subject is designed to: demonstrate a wide variety of practical research techniques, especially the use of public records and data-driven reporting; to show the distinctiveness of investigative reporting; and to use students' own problems and experience in researching their assignments as practical examples of applying investigative techniques.