by Silvio Waisbord,
the author of “Watchdog Journalism in South America:
News, Accountability, and Democracy”
| A |
In the 1970s, reporters played critical roles in revealing what became the most serious U.S. political scandal in the post-World War II period. Washington journalists pursued the clues left at a petty burglary in the Watergate office building, following them all the way to the White House. The reportage led to congressional investigations and the ultimate resignation of President Richard Nixon.
The performance of the press during Watergate was held as the mirror that reflected the best that journalism could offer to democracy: holding power accountable. It became a trend in American newsrooms. The profession enjoyed high credibility in the years that followed, and a remarkable increase in journalism school enrollment occurred.
Almost three decades later, the situation has changed. Investigative journalism does not seem to be the brightest star in the firmament of American news. If the tone of the press was self-congratulatory in the post-Watergate years, pessimism about the state of American journalism is currently widespread. Observers have often argued that increasing media ownership concentration and the drive to sensationalize news coverage have sapped the vigor that investigative reporting requires. Business pressures also deter investigative reporting. Its demands for a great deal of time, human and financial resources frequently conflict with profit expectations and production cost controls. Also, the fact that stories might result in expensive lawsuits makes news companies nervous about supporting investigations.
Notwithstanding these factors, there has been no shortage of investigative stories produced in the past decade. Major urban newspapers in the United States have produced articles that have revealed corruption, injustice, and environmental mismanagement. Local and network television news frequently produce investigative stories, which generally focus on diverse types of consumer fraud, in areas such as health care, social services, and home mortgages.
| B |
Investigative reporting is distinctive in that it publicizes information about wrongdoing that affects the public interest. Denunciations result from the work of reporters rather than from information leaked to newsrooms.
While investigative journalism used to be associated with lone reporters working on their own with little, if any, support from their news organizations, recent examples attest that teamwork is fundamental. Different kinds of expertise are needed to produce well-documented and comprehensive stories. Reporters, editors, legal specialists, statistical analysts, librarians, and news researchers are needed to collaborate on investigations. Knowledge of public information access laws is crucial to find what information is potentially available under "freedom of information" laws, and what legal problems might arise when damaging information is published. New technologies are extremely valuable to find facts and to make reporters familiar with the complexities of any given story. Thanks to the computerization of government records and the availability of extraordinary amounts of information online, computer-assisted reporting (CAR) is of great assistance.
| C |
Investigative journalism matters because of its many contributions to democratic governance. Its role can be understood in keeping with the Fourth Estate model of the press. According to this model, the press should make government accountable by publishing information about matters of public interest even if such information reveals abuses or crimes perpetrated by those in authority. From this perspective, investigative reporting is one of the most important contributions that the press makes to democracy. It is linked to the logic of checks and balances in democratic systems. It provides a valuable mechanism for monitoring the performance of democratic institutions as they are most broadly defined to include governmental bodies, civic organizations and publicly held corporations.
The centrality of the media in contemporary democracies makes political elites sensitive to news, particularly to "bad" news that often causes a public commotion. The publication of news about political and economic wrongdoing can trigger congressional and judicial investigations.
In cases when government institutions fail to conduct further inquiries, or investigations are plagued with problems and suspicions, journalism can contribute to accountability by monitoring the functioning of these institutions. It can examine how well these institutions actually fulfill their constitutional mandate to govern responsibly in the face of press reports that reveal dysfunction, dishonesty, or wrongdoing in government and society. At minimum, investigative reporting retains important agenda-setting powers to remind citizens and political elites about the existence of certain issues. There are no guarantees, however, that continuous press attention will result in congressional and judicial actions to investigate and prosecute those responsible for wrongdoing.
| D |
Public access
Access to public records and laws ensuring that public business will be conducted in open sessions are indispensable to the work of an investigative journalist. When prior censorship or defamation laws loom on the horizon, news organizations are unlikely to take up controversial subjects because of potentially expensive lawsuits. Consequently, democracies must meet certain requirements for investigative journalism to be effective and to provide diverse and comprehensive information.
POST-READING TASKS
I. FOCUS ON CONTENT
1. Answer the questions in Section A:
a) Why is it difficult for the news companies to support investigative journalism?
b) What did the Watergate scandal lead to?
c) What’s the best thing that journalism can offer to democracy?
d) When did the profession of a journalist become trendy in the US? Why?
e) What are the common topics covered by investigative journalists?
f) List the reasons why investigative journalism today does not seem as popular in the US as in 1970s.
2. Find in section B:
a) the definition of investigative reporting
b) the role of collaboration in investigative reporting
c) the role of computerization in investigative reporting
3. Scan section C to answer the question: “How does investigative reporting contribute to democracy?”. Complete the statements:
Investigative reporting
a) makes government …………………………..
b) reveals ………………………………………….
c) monitors ………………………………….
d) examines …………………….
e) retains ………………
f) nurtures …………………………………………
4. Discuss in pairs/groups:
a) When did investigative journalism emerge in Russia?
b) How popular is investigative journalism in Russia?
c) Can you name some Russian investigative journalists?
d) Are they put under pressure by the government, political and business elites or public organizations?
e) Is it dangerous to be an investigative journalist?
f) Would you agree to work as an investigative journalist?
g) Does democracy need investigative journalism?
5. Topic for a whole-class discussion: Freedom of Expression: Democracy or Chaos?
II. FURTHER RESEARCH: Prepare a mini-report (app. 200 words) on one of these topics:
a) Watergate scandal
b) Freedom of information
c) Fourth Estate
III. WORD-BUILDING 1: suffix - gate
| SPECIAL NOTE: The suffix -gate derives from the Watergate scandal of the United States in the early 1970s. The suffix is used to embellish a noun to suggest the existence of a far-reaching scandal, particularly in politics and government. It may suggest unethical behavior and a cover-up. |
a) Find out what these “-gate” words mean:
| Iraqgate | |
| Camillagate | |
| Monicagate | |
| Nannygate | |
| Koreagate |
b) Make up some new words with the suffix “–gate”.
WORD-BUILDING 2: FORMING ADJECTIVES
