Thoughts on Investigative Journalism
I wasn't first, but I was pretty good, pre-social media. Investigative Journalism is just that - an Investigation by a Journalist - it's not coverage of spot news (which, sadly, the vast majority of local reporters make a woeful job of); it's not transcribing soundbites (like what is presented on TV news); it's not "he said/she said" (as which pertains on the airwaves); and it's definitely not "sources said" (a weekly tabloid print technique that has migrated quietly into the daily paper). Rather, one needs to understand the society and its pillars; accept the responsibilities of the Fourth Estate, embrace the unknown; and let the questions come from your *vast* understanding (rather than simply parroting a talk-show host's vague, idle, off-hand inquiry). It means that self-education and self-regulation are the pillars of this art, and that it a distinction that only comes with sweat - and not tertiary schooling. Ask yourself why