Policy Brief
Investigative Journalism and Its Role in Ukraine’s Democracy
Investigative journalism occupies a unique place within journalism. For many people, investigative reporting is not just journalism, it is also social and political activism. Although many investigative journalists are reluctant to agree with this, the long history of investigative journalism in its birthplace - the United States of America - shows that investigative reporters often serve as community activists who, armed with the tools of journalism, influence public opinion and events. No wonder most of the manuals and analyses of investigative journalism share the conclusion that it is an archetypal ”watchdog” activity which looks into the actions of government and business in order to detect violations of legal and moral standards. In most cases, investigative journalism can be pursued under two conditions: (1) the existence of an obvious offense (and the presence of the offender and the victim) and (2) an offense that violates society’s moral or legal norms.