Investigative Reports And Prospects

Investigative reporting is a kind of authoritative reporting form, which reporters write with fresh first-hand material and dependable data obtained by carefully investigating news events and figures as well as potential social issues and phenomena. It becomes an important form of news reporting gradually, which includes interpretive reporting, objective reporting and investigative reporting, not only in China, but in western countries as well.This thesis discusses questions below: the naissance of investigative reporting, the necessity of introducing investigative reporting into China, the development of investigative reporting under the special political system and the ways to resolve the problem existing in China, etc. All of the above are contrasted with investigative reporting in western countries, from which we can comprehend this kind of reporting form profoundly.The first chapter analyzes the naissance of the investigative in western countries, especially in America, in order to clear up the rule of development of investigative reporting. The muckraking movement and Watergate case studies are emphasizedDoes investigative reporting operate properly? The second chapter elaborates on the condition of introducing investigative reporting to China, and then deduces the necessity. At the same time, the achievements of investigative reporting in China prove the argument above.The third chapter explains how investigative reporting operates, affects the society, and what kind of role it plays. On the one hand, investigative reporting can reflect the truth of society, accelerate democracy, influence public opinion, protect public interest, etc. On the other hand, it also has some problems such as chasing great sensation, having false news and causing legal consequences. During the performance of investigative reporting, all sorts of difficulties and resistances can occur. Conflicts between the new and the old journalismtheories, the interviewees' covering up the truth, and the tiresome lawsuits can be major problems.Chapter four foresees the future of investigative reporting in China, based on the study of investigative reporting presently in China. First, system building is the basic condition of development of investigative reporting. Focusing public interest is the resource of its existing. Competition and cooperation between newspaper and television is the drive of it. Finally, the investigative reporting in the future should take advantage of all sorts of media, becoming mutual beneficial among media and benign consensus.