Investigative Journalism
📋 What it is
Investigative journalism digs deep to uncover hidden wrongdoing, holding powerful people and groups accountable.
🗣️ Coach says
This is journalism’s watchdog role — long, careful digging into things the powerful would rather hide. It relies on documents, whistleblowers and patient verification, and it’s a big reason a free press matters.
🧠 Memory hook
The watchdog: dig deep, verify hard, hold power accountable.
😂 Giggle
Why do journalists make great gardeners?
They're always digging up dirt!
😲 Whoa!
Some investigations take journalists YEARS and thousands of documents before a single story is published.
✅ Quick check: What is the main purpose of investigative journalism?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
To uncover hidden wrongdoing and hold powerful people or organisations accountable to the public.
The watchdog role explains why press freedom is a democratic safeguard.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Think of a question that would take real digging to answer — what evidence would you need?