Investigative Journalism Overview
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Questions and Answers

What is investigative journalism?

a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrong doing

What are other names for investigative journalism?

  • Watchdog journalism (correct)
  • Accountability reporting (correct)
  • Exposé journalism (correct)
  • All of the above

    • What is the relationship between a politician and a journalist?

    There should be a good relationship between the two: the journalist connects the politician to voters and the politician offers information

    What do investigative reporters seek?

    <p>hidden information that politicians try to hide</p> Signup and view all the answers

    The fourth power controls the three other powers: legislative, executive, and judicial.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does it mean for a journalist to be an exponent of the fourth power?

    <p>It presumes that the undisclosed information points towards a breaking of the law or of the ethical rules</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do investigative journalists primarily go after?

    <p>The corruption cases of political, business, and financial elites involving abuse of power or cases when public funds go to private pockets</p> Signup and view all the answers

    When a journalist finds classified documents, what factors do they need to consider?

    <p>The respect of confidentiality</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is journalism of outrage?

    <p>It first began in 1690 with muckrakers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the agenda setting theory?

    <p>Media doesn't tell us what to think, but what to think about</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the journalist not do?

    <p>Ask the public to demand reform - instead their reporting should inform the public, and this should inspire them to demand reform</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the role of media in agenda building?

    <p>A collective process in which reporters make issues more notable for media, the public, and policy makers. Reporters basic goal is to stimulate agenda-building process in order to create reformist outcomes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who were the muckrakers?

    <p>The first journalists who revealed political misconduct. Their goal was to correct problems and to impact public policies</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who coined the term muckrakers?

    <p>President Theodore Roosevelt</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who was Benjamin Harris?

    <p>Publisher of the first public newspaper, Publick Occurences Both Forreign and Domestick in September 1690</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Harris do?

    <p>He published a paper portraying the torture of French prisoners by the British-allied Native Americans. This caused the suspension of his printing license by the British Army.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who are some famous muckrakers?

    <p>Lincoln Steffens</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Helen Hunt Jackson write?

    <p>A Century of Dishonor</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Lincoln Steffens write?

    <p>Shame of the Cities</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Upton Sinclair write?

    <p>The Jungle</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Frank Norris write?

    <p>the Octopus</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Ida Minerva Tarbell write?

    <p>A series of exposes in Ladies Home Journal (attacked Standard Oil)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did John Spargo write?

    <p>Bitter Cry of Children</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Charlotte Perkins Gilman write?

    <p>attacked child labor</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Samuel Hopkins Adams write?

    <p>attacked medicine industry and public health system</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Ray Stannard Baker write?

    <p>attacked Americas racial divide</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did David Graham Phillips write?

    <p>attacked the corruption by big business of the Senate</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was The Treason of the Senate?

    <p>Published in 1906 in Cosmopolitan, it exposed the influence of large corporations and other major financial interests on the government policy making</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What were some consequences of muckraking?

    <p>Exposes on corporate monopolies resulted in the enforcement of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was investigative reporting like between 1960 and 1970?

    <p>Result of the popularity of RFK and Lyndon B Johnson in 1963, economy was good so the number of newspapers declined and news was de-emphasized</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was muckraking like during wartime?

    <p>WW1, WW2, and the Cold War generated feeling of patriotism and increased support for government... between 1917 and 1970 objectivity and deference to authority became primary journalistic values</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What marked the rebirth of investigative reporting?

    <p>1969 - Seymour Hersh, Anti-Vietnam activist, investigated allegations against an army officer and found that he was responsible for the murder of at least 109 civilians at My Lai</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Investigative Journalism

    • Investigative journalism is a form of journalism focusing on in-depth investigation of a specific topic, often related to crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. It's also known as watchdog journalism or accountability reporting.
    • Investigative reporters seek hidden information often concealed by politicians.
    • Their goal is to expose corruption, abuse of power, or cases where public funds are diverted to private interests.
    • Journalists must balance the public's right to know against confidentiality concerns when handling classified documents.

    The Fourth Estate

    • The Fourth Estate refers to the press which acts as a powerful check on the government's other three branches.
    • Journalistic reporting aims to inform the public and inspire them to demand reform.
    • Journalists act as exponents of this power, presuming that undisclosed information indicates a violation of law or ethical conduct.

    Agenda Setting Theories

    • Agenda-setting theory explains that the media doesn't tell people what to think, but what to think about.
    • Agenda-building theory highlights the reciprocal influence between media, government, and the public.
    • Investigative journalism directly influences the agenda-building process by choosing issues for media attention, encouraging public discussion, and, eventually, initiating public policy reform.

    Historical Figures and Movements

    • Muckrakers: Early investigative journalists who exposed political and corporate corruption, aiming to inspire public policy changes; their work led to reforms in several areas.
    • Theodore Roosevelt: Coined the term "muckrakers" referencing a character from Pilgrim's Progress.
    • Benjamin Harris: Published Publick Occurences, an early public newspaper, exposing alleged British-allied Native American atrocities, which resulted in the suspension of his publishing license.
    • Famous Muckrakers: A list of prominent journalists including Helen Hunt Jackson, Lincoln Steffens, Upton Sinclair, Frank Norris, Ida Tarbell, John Spargo, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Samuel Hopkins Adams, Ray Stannard Baker and David Graham Phillips.
      • Each muckraker addressed specific issues: corruption in municipalities (Steffens), the meatpacking industry (Sinclair), railroads (Norris), Standard Oil (Tarbell), child labor (Spargo), and social issues (Gilman, Baker, Adams, Phillips)
    • D.G. Phillips' "The Treason of the Senate" was an important expose that highlighted the power of corporations on policy-making.

    Consequences of Muckraking

    • Muckraking's impact extended to specific legislation and reforms including antitrust laws, federal income taxes, workers' compensation and child labor laws.
    • Investigative reporting suffered during the periods of WW1, WW2, and the Cold War due to increased patriotism and government support.
    • A resurgence in investigative reporting occurred in the 1960s and 1970s.

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    Description

    Dive into the world of investigative journalism, where reporters uncover hidden truths about crime, corruption, and misuse of power. This quiz explores the role of the press as the Fourth Estate and the balance between public interest and confidentiality. Test your knowledge on agenda setting theories and the responsibility of journalists in society.

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