Investigative Journalism as Academic Research Output?

Abstract

Investigative reports can now be candidates for creative output at the University of the Philippines even as the criteria for getting them counted as such remain steep. But getting them accepted as research or scholarly work is an altogether different story. Academia still needs a lot of convincing to accept that rigorous investigative journalism, considered the highest form of journalism, employs the scientific method and contributes to new knowledge like academic research.

The Criminogenic Nature of Food Production Harm Responses: A Case Study of Anaerobic Digestion Technology Subsidies in Northern Ireland

“…Yet, investigative journalism can also be of benefit for academics as, similarly to the NGO actors, they can provide an alternative perspective on IJCJ&SD 6 www.crimejusticejournal.com regulatory environments (Kauzlarich and Matthews 2006). Chua (2015) suggests that the rigour of investigative reporting can rival or even exceed that of academic research, and investigative journalists have a clearly defined research method that involves documentary analyses, live interviews and site visits. Investigative journalism is particularly valuable in relation to uncovering environmental harms.…”

Research Ethics in Investigative Journalism

“…Reduced to its essence, journalism is a "discipline of verification" (Kovach and Rosenstiel 2014: 98), which necessitates the vetting of facts through a range of techniques such as interviews, document analysis, and observation. Investigative reporting demands a systematic collection, analysis, and verification of evidence from chiefly primary sources (Chua 2015).…”

“…Likewise, investigative reports have progressively become hypothesis driven, "a procedure as old as science" (Hunter 2009: 18). Beyond the presence of an investigative or research hypothesis, investigative reports produced at some universities, especially as theses, incorporate theories, including those drawn from other disciplines such as economics, political science, and law, making this journalism genre interdisciplinary (Chua 2015).…”

A two-nation Asian phenomenological study: Roles and purposes of graduate journalism education through the lens of global journalism

“…Not only should journalism teachers impart industry-required skills, they also must do research and wear an academic's hat in analysing issues and trends in the news media (Barkho, 2013). This theory-versus-practice debate not only has reached areas such as pedagogy but even the issue of what works are (un)recognised as 'journalistic' and as 'academic' by both parties (Murthy, 2015;Woolley, 2015;Tanner, 2015;Chua, 2015;Anuar, 2015;Duffy, 2015;Kemper, 2015;Mason, 2015). Even the recognition of journalism as a field of study (i.e.…”