A Social History of Investigative Reporting (3)

The Social Impact of Special Investigative Reporting

April 2009

In the previous two parts, the author categorized journalism as press release journalism and independent journalism, and analyzed past report examples to define the word chousa houdou, or investigative reporting, which involves (1) facts that the public would not know if they were not reported, (2) investigation of the information based on journalists’ own efforts, not on press releases, and (3) coverage of the facts on each media outlet’s own responsibility. The author coined a word tokubetsu chousa houdou, or special investigative reporting, and presented four other elements in addition to the above three that would constitute special investigative reporting to distinguish its concept from conventional idea of investigative reporting: The added four elements are: (4) targeting at misconduct, corruption, or negligence committed by individuals or organizations of authority or of influence, (5) inducing other news outlets to follow suit, (6) engaging the general public, and (7) having certain impact on power and authority. This month the author focuses on special investigative reporting and divides the types of “power” pursued by the target of reporting into three categories: I. political power, Ⅱ. organizational power, and Ⅲ. multiple power. The report examines the impact of the following eight reports: 1. The Research on Kakuei Tanaka, 2. KSD bribery case, 3. Sugou bombing, 4. Shibushi case, 5. moneylender scandals, 6. Paleolithic hoax, 7. HIV-contaminated blood products, and 8. emerging working poor.

Influence of investigative reporting varies. The Research on Kakuei Tanaka (Bungeishunjū magazine) and Recruit Scandal (Yokohama Beurau, Asahi Shimbun newspaper) had immediate impacts including regime changes while the reports on HIV-contaminated blood products (Mainichi Shinbun newspaper) took many years to see the light of day. In terms of investigative reporting and special investigative reporting, the author does not set any time frames regarding when other media outlets started following the original report or whether the original report has had any impact because he believes investigative reporting sometimes need to involve long-term research.

Both investigative reporting and special investigative reporting are different from reporting based on press releases and are significantly meaningful as these reporting styles revitalize journalism.

The NHK Monthly Report on Broadcast Research