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  3. Investigative Journalism

Investigative Journalism (JOUR90013)

Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

Availability(Quotas apply)
Semester 2
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This subject builds on basic journalistic interview and research skills to introduce the discipline and advanced research techniques of investigative journalism. It discusses the ethics, obligations, role and challenges of investigative journalism in the western democratic tradition and, as appropriate, in other political contexts. Students will explore and interrogate a range of opportunities to source information: public records, open source intelligence, Freedom of Information legislation, crowd sourcing, data analysis, advanced verification and security and safety technologies. They will be introduced to the multiple ethical and legal issues involved in use of confidential sources and unauthorised disclosures, and how this relates to core journalistic ethical principles. Students will be strongly encouraged to initiate and undertake an investigation as part of the subject, with an option to pursue an analytical essay as an alternative.

 

Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

  • Enlist story-based inquiry techniques to initiate, research, write and edit compelling investigative stories
  • Access and analyse key public records, including land titles, company searches and legal documents
  • Use Freedom of Information legislation and/or open source intelligence to obtain information from and about governments, organisations and companies
  • Understand the principles and ethics of locating and cultivating human sources
  • Understand the ethical and security issues raised by unauthorised disclosures and relationships of confidence with sources
  • Understand the techniques, principles and potential of enlisting data, evolving technologies and social media to source and verify information
  • Confidently conduct in depth and difficult interviews for journalistic purposes

Generic skills

At the completion of this subject, students should gain the following generic skills:

  • High level ability to analyse writing techniques and affects
  • High level ability to express thoughts, ideas and observations in accessible written English.

Last updated: 8 November 2024