Investigative reporting: Reconsidering the public view

Abstract

U.S. media researchers and pollsters have examined public approval of investigative reporting and its techniques. They have attempted to identify variables that influence those perceptions and looked at recall of specific investigative series. What has not received much attention, however, is whether the public being surveyed is responding to the concept of investigative reporting as defined by researchers and media professionals and whether the public believes it takes action as a result of these reports. This becomes the focus of this preliminary study. This study finds that the U.S. public seems to name any story involving an investigation as investigative reporting, and investigative reports appear to have minimal influence. This raises questions about what investigative journalism researchers have been measuring and why the public continues to show support when it is unable to recall investigative stories.