2.2 Evaluating story potential and feasibility
2 min read•july 24, 2024
Investigative journalism requires careful planning and ethical considerations. Reporters must define their story's , identify key sources, and assess potential impacts while managing resources effectively.
Legal and ethical challenges are paramount in investigative work. Journalists must navigate risks like , protect sources, and consider the consequences of their reporting while striving for accuracy and public interest.
Story Evaluation and Planning
Scope of investigative stories
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Top images from around the web for Scope of investigative stories
THE FATAL BLUEPRINT OF CORRUPTION | Clamor World View original
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Editor’s Pick: 2022’s Best Investigative Stories from Sub-Saharan Africa – Global Investigative ... View original
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2022’s Best Investigative Stories from Turkey – Global Investigative Journalism Network View original
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THE FATAL BLUEPRINT OF CORRUPTION | Clamor World View original
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Editor’s Pick: 2022’s Best Investigative Stories from Sub-Saharan Africa – Global Investigative ... View original
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- Define central focus pinpointing main issue or problem and key players involved (government corruption, corporate malfeasance)
- Assess potential evaluating local, regional, or national significance and potential for social or policy change (environmental regulations, healthcare reform)
- Estimate considering number of interconnected elements and depth of research required (financial fraud investigations, long-term public health studies)
- Consider and examining connection to current events and long-term importance of the issue (election integrity, climate change effects)
Sources for story information
- Categorize types differentiating between (direct witnesses, original documents) and (experts, analysts)
- Develop comprehensive source list including key individuals involved, field experts, and potential whistleblowers or insiders
- Identify and utilizing government documents, court records, and corporate filings
- Evaluate online resources exploring social media platforms, digital archives, and specialized databases (LexisNexis, ProPublica Data Store)
Resource Management and Ethics
Resources for investigative pursuits
- Estimate breaking down research phase, interviewing process, and writing/fact-checking stages
- Evaluate calculating travel expenses, public records fees, and potential legal costs
- Determine needed including data analysis software (SPSS, R), secure communication platforms (Signal, SecureDrop), and digital storage solutions
- Assess identifying reporters with specific expertise, data analysts, and multimedia producers
Legal and ethical considerations
- Identify potential examining defamation and , , and
- Consider weighing , methods, and potential
- Assess need for planning and understanding relevant laws (, Freedom of Information Act)
- Evaluate potential consequences analyzing impact on investigation subjects, public reaction/backlash, and long-term effects on sources
Key Terms to Review (27)
Complexity: Complexity refers to the state of being intricate and multifaceted, often involving multiple interconnected elements that can affect the outcome of a situation. In evaluating story potential and feasibility, complexity can significantly influence how a narrative unfolds, determining the depth of characters, plotlines, and themes involved. The interplay of various factors such as cultural context, social dynamics, and ethical considerations adds layers to storytelling, making it essential for reporters to analyze and understand these dimensions.
Confidentiality Agreements: Confidentiality agreements, often referred to as NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements), are legally binding contracts that protect sensitive information from being disclosed to unauthorized parties. These agreements are essential in various contexts, including journalism, where they help safeguard sources and unpublished material, as well as in business settings to protect trade secrets and proprietary information. Understanding confidentiality agreements is crucial for evaluating story potential and ensuring compliance with legal considerations, especially when weighing the risks of exposing confidential information.
Conflicts of interest: Conflicts of interest occur when a person or organization has competing interests or loyalties that could potentially influence their decision-making. This can compromise the integrity of journalism, as it may lead to biased reporting or the prioritization of personal gain over public interest. Understanding and managing conflicts of interest is crucial for maintaining credibility, especially when assessing the viability of a story, conducting research, and engaging in the self-editing process.
Databases: A database is a structured collection of data that can be easily accessed, managed, and updated. It serves as a vital resource for storing information, allowing journalists to analyze data trends and uncover stories that might not be visible through traditional reporting methods. In evaluating story potential and feasibility, databases can provide crucial evidence, statistics, and historical context that strengthen a story's relevance and depth.
Defamation: Defamation is a legal term that refers to the act of making false statements about an individual or organization that damages their reputation. This concept plays a critical role in the media, as it influences how stories are evaluated for potential harm and how legal risks are assessed before publication. Understanding defamation is essential for journalists, as it directly impacts the fact-checking and legal review processes to ensure that reported information does not unintentionally harm someone's reputation or lead to legal consequences.
Ethical Dilemmas: Ethical dilemmas are situations where a person faces conflicting moral principles, making it challenging to choose the right course of action. These dilemmas often arise in reporting when journalists must balance the pursuit of truth with the potential consequences of their stories on individuals and communities, leading to tough decisions about what to publish and how to approach sensitive topics.
Ethics: Ethics refers to the moral principles that govern a person's or group's behavior, particularly in determining what is right or wrong. In the context of reporting, ethics plays a crucial role in ensuring that journalists uphold integrity, truthfulness, and fairness while evaluating story potential and feasibility, ultimately guiding their decision-making processes and maintaining public trust.
Financial Needs: Financial needs refer to the specific monetary requirements necessary to support an initiative, project, or story development. In the context of evaluating story potential and feasibility, understanding these needs helps determine if a story can be realistically pursued, including assessing funding sources, budget constraints, and resource allocation to ensure successful execution.
Impact: Impact refers to the significant effect or influence that a story can have on its audience, community, or society at large. It encompasses the power of a narrative to provoke thought, inspire action, or change perceptions, making it a crucial element in the evaluation of news stories. Understanding impact helps in assessing the potential relevance and urgency of a story, guiding decisions on whether to pursue it.
Legal consultation: Legal consultation refers to the process where journalists seek advice from legal professionals regarding the legal implications and considerations of their reporting. This is crucial in ensuring that stories adhere to laws, protect sources, and avoid potential litigation or legal consequences.
Legal Risks: Legal risks refer to the potential for financial loss or adverse legal consequences that can arise from the actions or decisions made in the context of reporting. These risks often stem from issues such as defamation, copyright infringement, invasion of privacy, and violations of confidentiality. Understanding and evaluating legal risks is crucial to ensure that reporting practices are compliant with laws and regulations, ultimately affecting the feasibility and potential of a story.
Libel laws: Libel laws are legal standards that protect individuals from false statements made in written or published formats that could harm their reputation. These laws are crucial in balancing the right to free speech with the need to protect individuals from defamation, ensuring that stories adhere to ethical and legal guidelines when assessing their potential impact and feasibility.
Pre-publication review: Pre-publication review is a process where a story or article is evaluated for accuracy, fairness, and ethical considerations before it is published. This review serves as a critical checkpoint to ensure that the content meets journalistic standards and aligns with the intended audience's expectations. It also helps to identify potential legal issues, factual inaccuracies, or biases that may affect the credibility of the publication.
Primary Sources: Primary sources are original, firsthand accounts or evidence directly related to a topic or event. They provide direct insights into a subject, offering raw data or original documents such as interviews, letters, photographs, or official records, which are essential for thorough understanding and analysis.
Privacy concerns: Privacy concerns refer to the worries and issues surrounding the collection, use, and sharing of personal information by organizations, governments, or individuals. These concerns arise when people feel their personal data is at risk of being misused or exposed, especially in contexts where sensitive information is involved, like journalism. Understanding these concerns is crucial when assessing the potential and feasibility of a story, as they can impact how information is gathered and presented.
Public Records: Public records are documents or pieces of information that are not considered confidential and are maintained by government agencies or public bodies. They serve as an essential resource for journalists, researchers, and the general public, offering insight into government actions, decisions, and policies. These records can include anything from court documents to property records, and accessing them can help in assessing the potential of a story, conducting thorough research, and understanding transparency laws.
Relevance: Relevance refers to the significance and applicability of information or details to a particular subject, story, or research question. In reporting, identifying what is relevant helps determine which facts, quotes, and anecdotes contribute meaningfully to the narrative and engage the audience effectively. It's about ensuring that every element included serves a clear purpose and adds depth to the overall story.
Resource Management: Resource management is the efficient and effective deployment of an organization's resources when they are needed. This involves coordinating people, finances, materials, and information to ensure that a project or task is completed successfully. In the context of evaluating story potential and feasibility, resource management helps in assessing whether the necessary resources are available to support a story idea and if those resources can be mobilized effectively.
Scope: Scope refers to the extent and boundaries of a story idea, defining what will be included and excluded in the reporting process. It helps to clarify the focus of a story, ensuring that the reporter remains on track while investigating and presenting information. A well-defined scope is essential for evaluating the potential and feasibility of a story, as it influences the direction, depth, and breadth of coverage.
Secondary Sources: Secondary sources are documents or recordings that analyze, interpret, or summarize information from primary sources. They provide context and commentary on events, data, or original works, making them essential for understanding broader narratives. By utilizing secondary sources, researchers can evaluate the potential of a story and address research obstacles effectively, as they often consolidate various perspectives and analyses in one place.
Shield Laws: Shield laws are legal provisions that protect journalists from being compelled to reveal their sources or unpublished information in legal proceedings. These laws are crucial for maintaining the confidentiality of sources, which fosters an environment where sources feel safe to provide sensitive information to reporters without fear of exposure or retaliation.
Source protection: Source protection refers to the legal and ethical measures that journalists take to safeguard the identities of their sources, especially those who provide sensitive or confidential information. This concept is crucial for investigative journalism, as it encourages whistleblowers and insiders to share vital information without fear of repercussions, thus fostering transparency and accountability in society.
Team Composition: Team composition refers to the makeup of a team, including the diversity of skills, experiences, backgrounds, and personalities of its members. The effectiveness of a team can significantly depend on how well the members complement each other, share common goals, and communicate. A well-structured team composition can lead to enhanced creativity, problem-solving abilities, and overall success in producing impactful stories.
Technological Tools: Technological tools refer to digital and electronic resources that assist in gathering, analyzing, and presenting information effectively. These tools can range from software applications to hardware devices that facilitate reporting processes, enhancing the ability to evaluate story potential and feasibility by providing insights and data-driven perspectives.
Time Requirements: Time requirements refer to the necessary duration needed to gather information, conduct interviews, research, and produce a news story effectively. Understanding these time constraints is crucial for assessing the feasibility of a story idea, as they impact the overall quality and accuracy of reporting. Time requirements also help reporters prioritize their workload and manage deadlines efficiently.
Timeliness: Timeliness refers to the relevance and promptness of information in journalism, emphasizing the importance of delivering news and stories while they are still fresh and impactful. In journalism, timeliness ensures that stories resonate with audiences and engage them effectively, as people are more likely to be interested in events that are current or emerging. A story's timeliness can significantly affect its newsworthiness, making it a crucial consideration in evaluating potential stories, creating pitches, and analyzing data.
Undercover reporting: Undercover reporting is a journalistic technique where reporters disguise their identity or infiltrate organizations to gather information and expose wrongdoing or unethical practices. This method has evolved over time, becoming a crucial tool in investigative journalism for uncovering hidden truths that may otherwise remain concealed from the public eye.