Investigative journalism is one of the few independent checks on the excesses of government, corrupt officials and corporate scoundrels. Such journalism is expensive to produce, takes a long time and risks expensive legal proceedings. But the financial collapse of the business model that has sustained in-depth reporting by news organisations has led to concern for the future of investigative reporting. Is there more than one future? Are there new and different ways of doing it?
Brant Houston is a former investigative reporter in the United States and was the executive director of the Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) organisation for more than a decade. IRE, with about 4,500 members, is the peak organisation for investigative reporters in the United States. Houston is the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Chair in Investigative and Enterprise Reporting and teaches investigative and advanced reporting in the Department of Journalism in the College of Media at Illinois.
Monash University and the Melbourne Press Club invite you to a conversation with Brant Houston, together with fellow investigative journalism specialists from Monash, Bill Birnbauer and Dr Andrea Carson.