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Marites Dañguilan Vitug

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Investigative reporters in the US are upbeat about the future of their work and craft

Marites Dañguilan VitugIt may seem ironic but highly skeptical human beings —read: investigative journalists — see a bright future for their craft despite the budget cutbacks in the newsrooms, the demise of newspapers, and the hit-and-miss search for the business model that will sustain online reporting. 

In the recent investigative reporting (IR) symposium at the University of California in Berkeley, now on its 7th year, over 300 journalists, mostly from the US, gathered to swap war stories, exchange tips, and enhance tradecraft. What added spice to this event was the presence of lawyers who defend reporters in libel cases and news sources: former CIA officers, staff from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Customs and Border Protection (which reports to the Department of Homeland Security). 

The reasons for the optimism? The old-fashioned and unwavering commitment of publishers and editors to long-form journalism is still around in some places like The Seattle Times and Milwaukee Journal. I was surprised to learn that these newspapers still maintain IR staff and assign them to work on pieces for months and even a year. They respond to what they see as the “hunger for content.” 

Technology is a remarkable life-saver: it has allowed multi-platform reporting at a low cost and has made it accessible to various audiences. “Production costs are plummeting,” pointed out Raney Aronson-Rath, deputy executive producer for Frontline, the flagship public affairs documentary series of PBS or Public Broadcasting Service. “The affordability of the tools is leading to a renaissance in documentaries.”

Partnerships among news organizations to share content and cost is gaining traction. Frontline, for example, collaborates with ProPublica, an online news organization that “produces investigative reporting in the public interest.”  

And, of course, the vibrant culture of philanthropy in the US keeps IR thriving. Young hedge fund managers, old wealth, middle-class donations support IR projects as well as non-profit IR groups. 

“Miraculously for us, there appears to be a legion of donors willing and able to to step up and support this work,”  Lowell Bergman, who convened the symposium, said. Bergman, former producer with 60 Minutes, is the director of UC Berkeley’s Investigative Reporting Program.

ProPublica, for one, is funded by the Sandler Foundation and other donors. The Center for Investigative Reporting in San Francisco has been around for decades and has seen increased funding in recent years. 

“We try new things, we experiment,” said Phil Bronstein, former editor-large of the San Francisco Chronicle and now chair of the CIR. He has taken on the role of chief fundraiser which he described as “transformational and inspirational.” 

A number of journalists in the symposium see a “golden age” for investigative reporting because of the increase in the number of outlets and the proliferation of voices.

Measuring impact

The Seattle Times is an interesting case. The community it serves is helping sustain the newspaper. 

A private foundation offered to underwrite cost for overseas reporting. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which operates out of Seattle, is in talks with the newspaper but wants ways to measure the impact of the work the journalists do.

This generated discussion during the symposium and it resonated with me because nonprofit news groups in the Philippines do encounter this concern of donors. Journalism is about contributing information, adding to the knowledge out there. 

How does one quantify its effects on communities, on people’s lives? 

At times, the investigative reports do not lead to action or change—but the findings on corruption, waste, misdemeanor in public office, breakdown of ethics are in the public domain. It’s like a robust tree in a forest that provides generous shade—but nobody talks about it or no one seeks succor from the sun under its widespread leaves.

It is tough to arrive at a formula to measure the outcomes of investigative reports. But one idea that came up is for journalists to include in their reports courses of action the public can take to correct wrongdoing or solve problems.

At the Seattle Times, community representatives are invited to editorial meetings so they could give feedback. This process may be part of tracking down results of the work that the newspaper does.

Books

It’s also the “golden age” for converting the best journalism into best-selling books, Priscilla Painton, executive editor for nonfiction at Simon & Schuster, declared. She cited a couple of books that were unlikely bestsellers because they dealt with poverty (slums of Mumbai) and disease (HIV AIDS). To her great surprise, these books landed in the New York Times bestselling list for months.

Three genres are attracting audiences, according to Painton: prequel (to significant events), whistleblower stories, and breaking new information and news through narratives.

Authors may not warm up to this idea but they are expected to sell their books. “Market, market, market!” Diana Henriques of The New York Times and author of the bestselling book on Bernie Madoff, Wizard of Lies, urged. “It’s an amazing amount of work but you have to truly believe in it.”

The 3-day symposium ended on a high note. Bergman put it well: “Reflecting on 45 years doing this peculiar form of journalism we call investigative reporting…despite the dire predictions about our demise, we are thriving. Why? Simply because the demand for reporting that uncovers what is really going on appears to be insatiable.” – Rappler.com

 

 

  

 

   

 

 

 

   

 

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Marites Dañguilan Vitug

Marites is one of the Philippines’ most accomplished journalists and authors. For close to a decade, Vitug – a Nieman fellow – edited 'Newsbreak' magazine, a trailblazer in Philippine investigative journalism. Her recent book, 'Rock Solid: How the Philippines Won Its Maritime Case Against China,' has become a bestseller.