Watchdog Journalism
One of the main reasons people go into the field of journalism, is to be a watchdog for the public. Ask any law class what the role of journalism is in America, and you will usually get a unified answer of "To be a watchdog" for the public or "to give a voice to the voiceless".
To be a good 'watchdog' journalist, you must do investigative journalism. Investigative journalism involves reporters uncovering and documenting activities that were unknown to the public. The role of investigative journalism helps "make the affairs of the government more transparent". Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black said, "The press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of government and inform the people. Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government." (see: http://www.concernedjournalists.org/history-watchdog-mission).
The watchdog principle is also misunderstood. Many people think that watchdog journalism is to make high officials uncomfortable, and to afflict leaders. Because of this, journalists usually have a harder and harder time getting interviews with high officials because officials believe that journalists are out to get them. People believe that watchdog journalism's sole purpose is to point out the failures in everything.
However, as the Niemen Foundation for Journalism at Harvard states, "How can the press purport to monitor the powerful if it does not illustrate the successes as well as the failures? Endless criticisms lose meaning, and the public has no basis for judging good from bad." (see:http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:0ysVOBuFQkMJ:www.nieman.harvard.edu/reportsitem.aspx%3Fid%3D101682+watchdog+journalism+misunderstood&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us).
From the presentation, I enjoyed how they brought all the information together and asked the "So What?" question at the end. Why does investigative watchdog journalism matter? I strongly agree with what they presented in that Watchdog Journalism
1. Monitors power
2. Offers voice to the voiceless
3. Helps prosecution and finds crimes that wouldn't have been found otherwise
4. Helps bring about reform
I believe that if a reporter does this, the Journalism profession will continue to gain favor within the public site.
Stephen Tanner
To be a good 'watchdog' journalist, you must do investigative journalism. Investigative journalism involves reporters uncovering and documenting activities that were unknown to the public. The role of investigative journalism helps "make the affairs of the government more transparent". Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black said, "The press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of government and inform the people. Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government." (see: http://www.concernedjournalists.org/history-watchdog-mission).
The watchdog principle is also misunderstood. Many people think that watchdog journalism is to make high officials uncomfortable, and to afflict leaders. Because of this, journalists usually have a harder and harder time getting interviews with high officials because officials believe that journalists are out to get them. People believe that watchdog journalism's sole purpose is to point out the failures in everything.
However, as the Niemen Foundation for Journalism at Harvard states, "How can the press purport to monitor the powerful if it does not illustrate the successes as well as the failures? Endless criticisms lose meaning, and the public has no basis for judging good from bad." (see:http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:0ysVOBuFQkMJ:www.nieman.harvard.edu/reportsitem.aspx%3Fid%3D101682+watchdog+journalism+misunderstood&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us).
From the presentation, I enjoyed how they brought all the information together and asked the "So What?" question at the end. Why does investigative watchdog journalism matter? I strongly agree with what they presented in that Watchdog Journalism
1. Monitors power
2. Offers voice to the voiceless
3. Helps prosecution and finds crimes that wouldn't have been found otherwise
4. Helps bring about reform
I believe that if a reporter does this, the Journalism profession will continue to gain favor within the public site.
Stephen Tanner
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