A Study Of Chinese And American Investigative Reports From The Perspective Of Comparison

Investigative report is a hot academic topic in the field of journalism research.In China,investigative report is regarded as one of the best ways to reveal news quality,in America,investigative report,objective report and interpretative report form together the situation of tripartite confrontation.In the past,the related research mainly focused on the case analysis,source and course combing,practical inquiry of investigative report,the research in its comparative studies in China and foreign countries is rare.Taking the winning investigative report in Chinese News Awards and the Pulitzer Prize as sample,this thesis gives an overall view to the similarities and differences between Chinese and American investigative reports from the aspects of concept,history,interview,writing,and cultivation,etc,and analyzes the causes of differences from the aspects of dissemination ideas,news system,regulation rules,etc,in an attempt to find the personality and deficiency of investigative report in China and put forward some suggestions and strategies.The study shows the investigative report in China and America both originate in the mid and late nineteenth century,China takes the emergence of Foreign Chinese Newspapers and Periodicals as an opportunity and the United States is marked by the Muckraking Movement.In the later development,the investigative report in China suffers many mishaps and booms until 1990s,especially from 2003 to 2013 stays its golden ten years.The investigative report in America also returns to plain after Muckraking Movement and steps into the second peak period until 1960s,later,it declines from 90s and ushers another developmental opportunity along with the booming of network media.In the practice of interview,the investigative report in China and America both pay attention to the negative topics whose covered news value content is large and conflict.The interview is difficult,dangerous and relatively independent.Comparatively speaking,there are neutral topics on social issues in Chinese investigative reports,the interview object is relatively simple and investigative reporters face greater legal risk;American investigative reporters face more challenges,they report a large number of sensitive and controversial international topics,they face greater personal risk and investigative process is more complicated.In terms of work text,the investigative report in China and America both tend to have the writing features of accuracy,balance,great length,fragmentation,logic and highlighting investigation.They are keen on the narrative motif of "Treasure Hunts",and they prefer to linear structure,suspense making technique,the external focus narrative perspective and binary opposition model.Its writing language is concise,accurate,full of tension,plain,natural,vivid,objective,fair and can express the theme.Comparatively speaking,independent report is the main way of Chinese investigative report works,these works have diverse stylistic and frequently adopt the model of reporters plus governmental investigation,their narrative structure is more simple and straightforward and language emotional color is relatively heavy,more indirect speeches are used in them.While American investigative reports are mainly combined reports,their stylistic is single,the investigative works are completed by reporters alone,the narrative structure is more tortuous,and the phenomenon of style mutual infiltration is more prominent,more direct speeches are used in these reports.The study reveals that the differences between Chinese and American investigative reports are not entirely caused by investigative report itself,root causes are the differences between Chinese and American news dissemination ideas,system and regulation rules,etc.The sameness and differences should both are emphasized when comparing the investigative news career between China and America,China not only should realize that there is a gap between it and America in valuing degree,talent support and investigative techniques,but also adhere to the principle of developing what is useful or healthy and discard what is not,besides,China should also maintain independent personality,especially abandon the American investigative report's defects of pure recrimination,making gimmick and over relying on industrial and commercial capital.