Investigative journalism the best chance newspapers have to survive: NY Times reporter
Barstow: Investigative pieces make newspapers “worth the price of admission”
Three-time Pulitzer Prize winner and reporter for the New York Times, David Barstow has suggested that investigative journalism is the best chance newspapers have for long-term survival.
Speaking at yesterday’s Australian Press Council conference, David Barstow, said: “We now have a real basis for demonstrating that investigative journalism, done with all rigour and professionalism, is the thing that offers us the best chance of long-term survival.”
With the New York Times reaching more than one million digital-only subscribers, Barstow argued that investigative pieces are what is convincing people to pay to subscribe and are “worth the price of admission.”
When major news organisations are seemingly muted when it comes to important topics uncovered by investigative journalists, the journo’s must shake and then bury their heads in their hands.
Cases in point: The BBC’s lack of coverage of Unaoil. To date just one mention, which is from Radio 4. Nothing else, no mentions, no articles, no commentary nothing?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/search?q=Unaoil
Murdoch’s tabloids nor The Australian have touched it either!
Why would that be?
Investigative journalism has to be made relevant to the online age especially as younger people are using mobile devices more frequently and these devices can take the concept further.
But there needs to be reporters and staff who are good at presenting the facts derived from investigative journalism in a manner that can work well with the online users. This may involve implementing the techniques associated with blogs like creating infographics or providing supporting videos. In some cases. it could lead to the creation of interactive elements like what I have seen with the Panama Papers website . It could be about chasing the facts that may mean something particular to the reader while filtering out other stuff.
Who’d have thought it? Proper, worthwhile journalism (AKA “investigative”) is worthwhile and people who produce it and consume it value it.