Walkley award-winning journalist Wendy Bacon has examined official corruption in NSW, miscarriages of justice, police corruption, indigenous issues, environmental issues and a plethora of other topics in her several decades as an investigative journalist. But what does she think is a good story?
Investigative journalism
Crikey Says: Our kind of sicko
Somewhere in a dingy office in Florida, the heart beat of journalism still pulses softly.
Loss of basic female skills or loss of basic journalistic skills?
It’s the job of really good journalists to question the way PR-led stories are presented.
Journalism schools unite in new muckraking investigative site
Walkley Award-winning former Age legend Bill Birnbauer is on the brink of launching a pioneering Trans-Tasman student journalism portal, with budding hacks to be given a prominent platform exploring international issues in their quest for paid employment.
Scoop: only journos care who broke the news
Being the first to report who is the new PM — something we’ll all learn very quickly — isn’t as important as thoughtful and revealing investigative journalism, writes Tim Dunlop.
Holmes: Quest for truth is more important than ‘balance’
Journalism shouldn’t just be about reporting what two opposite sides think about a topic. That doesn’t make a journalist “balanced” and it doesn’t give the reader enough information, writes Jonathan Holmes.
How the Bloody Sunday truth came out
Harold Evans explains how investigative journalism, done by The Sunday Times, served as the key evidence in proving that the 13 murdered civilians from Bloody Sunday were innocent.
In defense of journalists stalking Sarah Palin
Journalist Joe McGinnis is writing a book about Sarah Palin. What better way to get to know her than by moving in next door? Palin is pissed, but Jack Shafer reckons it’s fair (a a little grubby) game.
ABC gets into bed with Fairfax … and news is the winner
Once, journalists guarded their stories fiercely, and the idea of competing with another media outlet, let alone doing a joint operation, would have been anathema. Things have changed.
The Blowout: US 60 Minutes takes on the BP oil spill
Watch 60 Minutes’ (that’s the ‘merkin version) excellent investigation into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, exposing how BP’s cost-cutting and low safety standards allowed the disaster to occur.
Pulitzer Prize winners announced
The winners of journalism’s most coveted gongs have been announced: The Washington Post won the most awards, while investigative outfit ProPublica clocked up one for online journalism with a nod for its excellent expose on New Orleans hospitals post-Katrina.
The top 10 works of journalism of the past 10 years
New York University’s Journalism Institute has named its top 10 pieces of American journalism for 2000-2009, from the NYT’s 9/11 coverage to NPR’s This American Life podcast.
Crikey Says: The 24/7 ABC must do the hard yards
The central question that should always be applied to any new initiative that the ABC rolls out is “what’s in it for us”?
leaked 
How the AP got the scoop on Sarah Palin’s new book
An internal memo from the Associated Press reveals how its intrepid reporters scored and scoured a copy of Sarah Palin’s bio five days early. The reporters responsible earned themselves a cool $500 reward for securing the news agency’s “Beat of the Week”.
The future of journalism? Actual journalists
For all the discussion from Australia’s best media minds about the future of news in this country, few are offering any grand ideas on how to fund real quality, investigative journalism, says Marni Cordell.
Slate, The Atlantic, Wired and more may join forces for climate change coverage
In this great little Q&A, Mother Jones editor Clara Jeffery reveals she is in talks with Slate, Grist, The Atlantic, Wired, Pro Publica and others to collaborate on investigative reporting into climate change.
What is Chris Masters doing at the Tele?
The doyen of Australian investigative journalists, Chris Masters, has a new gig at the Daily Tele. How did they get him and what is going to happen next?
Investigative journalist bids $60k for dinner with Sarah Palin
Journalist and true-crime writer Joe McGinniss bid $60,101.01 in the eBay auction for dinner with Sarah (and Todd) Palin, but was unfortunately pipped at the post by a real Palin supporter.
Investigative journalism is the right medicine for an ailing media
An expose by NYT journalist Duff Wilson exposing some very unhealthy links between Harvard Medical School and Big Pharma and its subsequent attempts to silence critics demonstrates the critical need for good investigative reporting.
Hear no evil, see no evil…
The trick to publishing information obtained through less-than-legal means? Don’t ask where it comes from. The NYT looks at newspaper editors who have gotten away with publishing private information — and those who haven’t.
Sour grapes threaten legitimate investigative journalism
Politicians are using the News of the World phone-hacking scandal as a chance to hit back at journalists for the MP expenses scandal. Not so fast, says The Times.
Former P-I journos launch new site
Perhaps taking a leaf from some former colleagues, a group of journos from the now defunct Seattle P-Inewspaper have launched a new website dedicated to investigative journalism, InvestigateWest.
Guardian harnesses people power for MP expenses investigation
Almost 20,000 have answered The Guardian’s call for a hand to sort through the 457,153 pages of British MP expense claims.
AP to distribute nonprofits’ investigative journalism
The Associated Press will deliver work by four nonprofit investigative journalism organisations as part of their service, expanding the groups’ audiences and plugging a content and staffing gap for the wire service.
How an American brought down the house of rorts
Meet “sassy” American reporter Heather Brooke, the woman who fought and won to expose the British MP expenses scandal.
