How Does a Journalist Get Hidden Information - Essay Example

Students Name Institutional Affiliation Instructor’s Name Date Why do some journalists choose to participate directly in the events or issues they are covering? What do their works offer readers that differs from orthodox daily journalism? Some journalists choose to take part directly in the issues or events that they are covering. This is a new category of journalists referred to as investigative journalists. Research as well as investigation is very crucial and compulsory parts of journalism all over the world currently. The journalists who want to participate in the issue that they are covering always want to uncover certain pertinent aspects of the matters which could others not be establish under the normal ways of journalism. This is an investigative aspect of journalism in which the journalist becomes part of the environment, group or situation which he or she is investigating. For instance, when gathering information for normal and ordinary articles, journalists will have a straightforward way to collect the data. They can attend meetings, press releases, conferences, briefings and so forth. However, investigative journalism involves obtaining information not from open meetings, conferences or other standard processes. It does not follow the agenda of someone else in the sense that they dig deeper to obtain solid and profound answers to the issue they are covering (Smith, 2010). Participation allows the journalists to find out something important and away from the ordinary. Normally, what these journalists cover in the participation procedures is always crucial and important to the society. Participation can be categorized into three main classes or types. They include simple research, informational projects, and hard projects. Hard projects imply hard and long work. It means uncovering each and every detail in an issue that is being covered. It even includes nuance hence the reader has not question left concerning the issue after reading the whole story. Such information includes all types of data, background, history, and statistics among others. In short, it entails everything about a given event or issue that the journalist is covering. Journalists should understand that documented evidence is the aspect of a finding that is more crucial compared to anything else. Hence, if the journalists have documents that prove an issue and clearly explain that which a society thought was one way turns out to be another, it implies the journalist have conducted an investigation. During participation journalism, the journalists always remember that the goal of the research is to prove and clarify an issue or event. Initially, when journalists start working on an issue, they must understand why they are doing it. They have to understand whatever they have to unearth, disclose or prove (Allan, 2007). Journalistic research is a participatory form of journalism, similar to an analytical article. The journalist chooses a topic to research on, normally one that is new to society and then goes on to research on it. The journalist then goes on to study and analyze every angle of the issue and provide data and information which was previously not disclosed to the public. They analyze and study facts, involve experts and probably disclose a particular violation or contravention act (Smith, 2010). The journalists endeavor to bring out information which amazes the readers. The public find out information that they could not have expected to exists anywhere around the issue or event that the journalist investigate. The journalists’ aim is to leave the audience without any further question at the end of reading the article. Research is different when compared with an investigation. A research does not require following it all the way through to conclusion. One researches the topic, give facts, and then probably acknowledge that they could follow it up. When the researcher does the follow up, then it becomes an investigation (Allan, 2007). Informational journalism, as the name suggests refers to collecting information and data, including analysis that has something unique or new about it. This form of analysis and study could be even shorter than research that it normally takes less time than a full or analysis. Ideas for such analysis could even come from appropriate rumors. However, data still requires verification and checking by at least three reliable sources and obviously, it has to be balanced and unbiased. In order to achieve this journalist must therefore participate in the event or issue that he or she is covering. This will ensure that he or she obtains firsthand information, facts, and data about the whole issue (Smith, 2010). Difficult research/journalism refers to long and hard work that journalists face in their quest to uncover the truth about various issues or events that they are covering. Investigation is normally quite a lengthy process to undertake. One of the reasons is that it may take a long period of time to get the required documents and facts. The form of wring and analysis is referred to as investigation because the journalist is trying to disclose something that has been hidden and its disclosure might not be in the interest of particular group of people, who may generate difficulties and obstacles. On such challenge is crating stumbling blocks and blocking access to data and information or availing the information too late. In order to overcome most of these challenges, journalists usually opt to take a participatory perspective in their collection of information so as not a miss any single bit of the whole issue. By participating, the journalist minimizes the instances or chances that crucial information could be missed as a result of mischief by the custodians of the information and data (Allan, 2007). Participatory journalism is well illustrated by Bill Buford in his book “Heat” when he decided to participate in had to participate in cooing in a hotel in order to critically understand what makes a good chef. He worked in the hotel as a chef, doing everything that a hotel does. This gave him a clear understanding of who his friend, just like any other chefs, was. He resorted to doing this because he wanted to find first-hand information about the art of cooking and how best he could personally be as a chef. By participating, he was able to get a broader and clearer picture of how an ideal chef is. He encountered a number of challenges and other experiences which shaped his thinking in regards to cooking and provision of hospitality services to customers. He was able to get every single detail, an aspect which he could not have achieved if he had not taken a participatory approach to his study (Smith, 2010). The works of Ted Conover indicate the particular aim of those journalists who opt to invest in the participatory aspects of journalism. He his work “Routes of Man: Travels in the Paved World and Newjack: Guarding Sing” he gives an account of the ten months which he spent working at New York’s Sing Prison as a corrections officer. His other work “Rolling Nowhere: "Mexican farm workers were the new American hoboes.” Conover crossed the border of Mexico and United States of America four times while travelling with migrant employees through Arizona, California, Florida and Idaho. From this participatory journalism he was able to discover numerous aspects and facts about the issue he was writing about (Smith, 2010). Participatory journalism enables the journalist to understand the issue he or she is covering within its natural setting. In the participant journalism, attention is focused on the contextual situations and conditions, which are perceived as highly relevant to the issue being investigated, while ordinary journalism deliberately separate the issue from its context and center on various variables (Smith, 2010). Journalists opt to sue participatory method when the issue they are covering cannot be separated from its context, the focus is on contemporary issues and events and the personal experience of the journalists and actors is crucial. Participatory journalism is often employed by journalist when the issue that they wish to cover is organizational as opposed to technical. It is the most fruitful source of information to the reader as the journalist has numerous sources of evidence as well as multiple information collection methods at his or her disposal (Allan, 2007). Participant journalism goes further to unveil the facts, truths, realities and in-depth analysis of the various issues that the journalists are covering. It also gives the journalist knowledge through experience. This knowledge can assist the journalist in finding solutions to the problem and suggest it to the relevant bodies if necessary. By participating in research and journalism the journalist gets to feel the exact conditions felt by his or her responses, those affected by the issue under investigation, as well as the entire society (Allan, 2007). Participatory journalism gives the subject a sense of importance as they feel appreciated and recognized. This will encourage them to give the correct and detailed account of the situation which the journalist wishes to investigate or cover. When the despondence of a particular investigation are contacted and joined in their daily duties, they feel appreciated and relevant. They do not feel condemned or shameful when they see the journalist taking part in whatever activity that they are doing. This way, they are willing and free to disclose any information that could be useful to the journalist, which they could otherwise not be willing to disclose under an ordinary journalism (Smith, 2010). Journalists who take part in participatory journalism have a lot more to over to the audience compared to the ordinary journalists. They have enough evidence and facts about a given event or issue that they have covered compared to the ordinary journalist. They do not leave the readers or audience with multiples of questions regarding the issue or event as they expound and exhaust every aspect and detail of the event or issue. Some journalists therefore prefer to participate directly in an event or issue they are covering in order to provide quality and detailed information (Allan, 2007). References Allan, S. (2007). News Culture. Maidenhead, McGraw-Hill International (UK) Ltd . http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=287849. Smith, R. (2011). Ethics in Journalism. Hoboken, John Wiley & Sons. http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=819417. Read More