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INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM: A WAY FORWARD


The sensational world of media and journalism has witnessed many tragedies over the time. The freedom of thought and speech displayed by some courageous journalists, have ended in grim fatalities. Here I present to you what investigative journalism is, and nature of steps we need to take to promote and strengthen it.
Well, we all know about how news, telecasts are contrived to serve the whims of those who are powerful and thus depriving the common masses of the correct information. Freedom of press and journalistic ethics has been treated as a part of the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by Article 19(1)(a) of the constitution. Still, time and again, these rules have been breached. For instance, some of you might remember the sting operation by CobraPost (an acclaimed Indian non-profit news website and television production house), called Operation 136. The series of investigations under this operation exposed many Indian media houses willing to peddle Hindutva, which could lead to communal polarization for electoral gains, and to defame political rivals as a part of a malicious media campaign, all for money. (You can find the link for the detailed descriptions and video below.) Well then, it is not as much of a shock to know that India is placed at number 138 out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, 2018.
Paid News, as it is stated, is a phenomenon (rather a sinister phenomenon) in media outlets that refers to the systematic engagement of mainstream media outlets in publishing favorable articles in exchange for payment.
Well, to combat these mischievous happenings, we also have a group of journalists who work with dedication and zeal for the truth and serve the same to the public. Gauri Lankesh, the Karnataka journalist, who was gunned down, was an activist and spoke her mind. She was known for her strong views against right wing forces. But this of course was not the first case of slain journalists. In 2016, nearly 122 journalists and media professionals were killed globally out of which 93 were specifically targeted. Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, M.M. Kalburi are among the many who have met the same fate. Another chilling incident was the murder case of crime and investigation journalist, Commander J Dey. (The link for a detailed description is shared below). 
Daphne Caruana Galizia, a Maltese journalist who was killed in a car bomb for her involvement in the Panama papers

Commander J Dey



 Gauri Lankesh


These people were essentially involved in Investigative Journalism. It is a process of researching and telling a story, usually one that someone else is trying to hide. As writers who investigate and report information with the purpose of facilitating change, investigative reporters are behind many of the reforms that we see today.
Well I would end here, but before I do I would like to acquaint you to one more model of investigative journalism. It is known as the Ken Model. The Ken is a new, digital subscription driven publication that practices ethical journalism in sectors of technology, business, science and healthcare. (I have provided the link below.)

LINKS
Youtube channel: Cobrapost


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