Dispatches: The Power of Investigative Journalism
News and notes from Pacific Standard staff and contributors.
Investigative Journalism
'Spotlight' Gets Journalism Right
Unlike many films about reporters, Spotlight accurately depicts the frustrations and joys of breaking a big story, from the drudgery of spreadsheets to the electric thrill of revelatory interviews.
Is Investigative Journalism a Joke?
As print profits continue to plummet and some of the more traditional media outlets turn away from ambitious investigative journalism, documentary filmmakers are picking up the slack.
Making History From the WikiLeak Trove
After journalists swept over the trove of WikiLeaked documents from the Afghan war with a broad-toothed comb, historians and social scientists consider what might be of more lasting value there.
The Third Way to Media Success
Northwestern University researchers look to link editorial talent with audience experiences to get an elusive Web-era result — loyal readers and viewers.
NPR Coverage Superior to Murrow's Newscasts in the 1940s
New research compares coverage of overseas news on Edward R. Murrow’s CBS and modern-day NPR, and finds public radio superior in numerous ways.
Knowledge-Based Journalism Is Not an Oxymoron
The blandly titled Journalist's Resource sits on the Web, ready — with a little help from Harvard's Kennedy School — to throw substantive story ideas onto reporters' desks.
We Are Accused of Over-cheerfulness
Letters to the editor: OK, bucko, step outside and say we're afraid of population growth. Go ahead. See what happens.
Nonprofit-Funded, University-Based News
Can journalism schools oversee the public-interest news organizations of the future? Yes, with caveats.
Deep Throat Meets Data Mining
In the nick of time, the digital revolution comes to democracy's rescue. And, perhaps, journalism's.
Innocent Until Reported Guilty
The simple prescription for reducing wrongful convictions: better journalism about crime and punishment.
Not the Editor's Letter — The Watchdogs of Academia
A call on the professorial classes to help check abuses of governmental power. And to start confronting the Alberto Gonzaleses of the world — before they wreak havoc.
Over the Horizon
A new British book, "Flat Earth News," provides a well-researched answer to the age-old question: Why are the news media so dumb?
The Bottom Line for Nonprofit News
Across America, nonprofit Web sites are trying to keep public interest journalism alive at the local level. But to provide what print newspapers increasingly do not, these digitized nonprofits must overcome the challenge facing every startup: Eventually, they have to break even.