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Investigative Reporting Plan

Investigative Reporting Plan. Investigative Plan. 1. Problem 2. Hunch or Hypothesis 3. Paper Trail 4. People Trail 5. Timetable 6. Budget. Digging up the Data. 1. There’s nothing like painstaking research, legwork, and in-depth interviews.

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Investigative Reporting Plan

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  1. Investigative Reporting Plan IR,Ppt5

  2. Investigative Plan 1. Problem 2. Hunch or Hypothesis 3. Paper Trail 4. People Trail 5. Timetable 6. Budget IR,Ppt5

  3. Digging up the Data 1. There’s nothing like painstaking research, legwork, and in-depth interviews. 2. Know what to look for, who to speak with, where to look. Even the Internet is a source. 3. Use proper attribution and avoid single-source stories. 4. Follow the paper and people trail for a more solid story. Sift the facts. 5. Corroboration is the rule. IR,Ppt5

  4. The Writing Process 1. Have a working outline. Be clear about the structure. 2. Define your story line and the problem you want to highlight. 3. Organize your notes and your documents accordingly. Arrange in folders if necessary. 4. Determine points of corroboration between documents and interviews. IR,Ppt5

  5. The Structure The Lead: 1. Draws the reader deep into the story 2. Sets the tone for the rest of the story 3. Alerts the reader about what to expect down the line 4. Summarizes or provides the gist of the story IR,Ppt5

  6. The Structure The Lead: 1. Frame the lead while the story is unfolding–think of it in advance. 2. Bleed, if you have to, when you write the lead. Afterwards, it’s going to be a breeze. Good reporting = Good leads IR,Ppt5

  7. The Body 1. The intro provides a road map to the entire story. 2. The most telling details come early on. 3. The more tempting chronology is avoided. Better off as a sidebar. IR,Ppt5

  8. The Body cont… 4. Keep the focus and don’t get lost in the details. 5. Organize your story to highlight and prove your point. 6. End when there’s nothing more to say. No need for eulogies. IR,Ppt5

  9. The Writer’s Art 1. Writers are readers. 2. They show; they don’t tell. 3. They adhere to four principles: Accuracy, Clarity, Simplicity, Credibility 4. They welcome feedback and critique from their peers. 5. They write, write, rewrite till they get it right. IR,Ppt5

  10. Dos and Don’ts 1. Adopt a degree of skepticism as you gather information and data. Always ask questions. 2. Protect your sources who request anonymity. Keep your contract with sources. 3. Keep the graphic details under check esp. where minors are concerned. 4. Corroborate sensitive information that does not come from a solid or untainted source. 5. Be fair. Get both sides. IR,Ppt5

  11. A Matter of Ethics 1. Restraint: the bar of privacy; writing about minors and women 2. Deception 3. Dealing with Sources: checkbook journalism 4. Conflict of interest situations 5. The importance of credibility IR,Ppt5

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