Practices of Investigative Journalism around the World

Investigative journalism belongs to the foundations of democratic societies – but what is the state of investigative journalism around the world? How do the changing practices of investigative journalists differ in countries with different degrees of media freedom? How do digital media transform investigative journalism? To answer these questions, we interviewed participants of the 11th Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Hamburg.

The study fills a relevant gap in research on journalists’ working conditions as it focusses on the practices of investigative journalism from a systematic comparative perspective. The project sheds light on the following topics:

First, we examine the role of digital research and verification practices in investigative work, allowing an in-depth view of the importance of digital tools in investigative journalism around the world.

The results were published in Journalism Studies and can be accessed here:
How Investigative Journalists Around the World Adopt Innovative Digital Practices

Second, we analyse which challenges and limits investigative journalists face across countries, asking for factors that affect their work and also exploring the blind spots of investigative work.

The results of  both studies will be made publicly available, while guaranteeing the anonymity of all interviewees. We thank the  Global Investigative Journalism Network, Netzwerk Recherche and Interlink Academy for their help in working on these pressing questions.

The project is conducted by the following team:

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Jessica Kunert (Project Coordinator, Universität Mainz)
Prof. Dr. Michael Brüggemann
Jannis Frech, M.A.
Prof. Dr. Volker Lilienthal
Prof. Dr. Wiebke Loosen