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Radio News, Reporting and Production MCM515

LESSON 22

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING II

Planning & Producing an Investigative Report

The planning of investigative report involves great deal of research and knowledge of the area or the topic

the reporter intends to probe into. Have a well planned start and minimize the chances of failure to the

maximum.

While planning an investigative report a reporter must go through the following step:

1) Identification of the problem

First of all the reporter must have the precise knowledge of the matter he intends to make a report about.

There are certain problems or matters which demand interpretative report and there is no need of

investigative report. It is the quality of the reporter that how he smells something suspicious that needs to

be investigated into. He comes to know that there is something about the incident that some forces are

trying to keep secret or the real facts of some matter are being kept concealed deliberately. The reporter

tries to dig out the real facts and then these facts are put on air in the form of an investigative report.

Hence, unless the reporter knows the actual problem, he will not be able to make his direction to his

destination.

2) Make An Initial List Of Potential Interviewees

The next step after identifying the area of the reporting is to make a list of those people who are needed to

be interviewed. These are the ones who are directly or indirectly involved in the issue.

3) Interviews of affectees

Investigative reporting is needed for such incidents in which due to some reason, people get affected. It can

be because of any fraud, or because of accident owing to negligence of any person, or because of

corruption, or because of nepotism. The expressions of those people who get injured or affected directly are

very important to be recorded. The reason is that these are those people who have the right information

about the happening of the incident.

4) Interviews of probable affecters.

5) Opinion of experts.

6) Opinion of concerned authorities.

Example:

Problem: People living in the near-by areas of tanneries are suffering from fatal diseases like hepatitis B &

Point to ponder upon:

The cases of the said disease are found in other areas as well or particularly the inhabitants near the

tanneries are catching fatal diseases?

If the research proves that only those people are getting affected who are the near-by residents of the

tanneries then the focal point of the research would be to search for the reasons. The reporter will try to

find out the relation between the diseases and the tanneries.

It is a proven truth now that the chemicals in the wastes & discharges of the factories and tanneries when

having not been disposed off the way they should be, diffuse into the soil and pollute the water beneath the

earth. The same polluted water people draw out through hand pumps and use for drinking and other

purposes. Even if the plants and crops are provided with the same contaminated water, their yield and

growth also get affected and poisonous fruits and vegetables grow. This impure water is the heinous source

of spreading deadly and highly hazardous diseases among human beings and animals if they constantly

intake it.

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Radio News, Reporting and Production MCM515

The investigative reporter will look into the ways and methods of disposing off the discharges.

Chemical tests of underground water will be obtained.

The affectees will be interviewed.

The experts of the field will be contacted and their expert comments will be recorded.

The owners' point of view will be recorded.

The opinion and the standpoint of the ministry of health will be recorded.

The ministry of industry will be questioned.

INTERVIEW

Interview is an informal conversation with a person in which a reporter asks questions in order to dig out

his/her opinions regarding a certain matter.

Interrogation

The process of asking somebody a lot of questions, especially in an aggressive way in order to get

information is called interrogation.

Interviewer

The person who asks the questions in an interview is called interviewer.

Interviewee

The person who answers the questions in an interview is called interviewee.

Purpose of the interview

To get usable audio for news bulletin in order to make the item credible is the main objective of the

interview.

Types of interview

· Hard news interview

· Informational interview

· Investigative interview

· Adversarial interview

· Interpretative interview

· Personal interview

· Emotional interview

· Entertainment interview

· Actuality interview

· Telephone or remote interview

· Vox pop & multiple interviews

· Grabbed interview

Hard News Interview

Hard news interview is conducted to illustrate a news item to highlight facts and figure. 5 Ws & one H are

covered in hard news interview, for instance:

· When actually the fire did break out?

· What was the cause of the fire?

· Is there any casualty?

· Which hospital the injured have been taken to?

Informational Interview

It is similar to the hard news interview. It extends to ordinary stories as well---about something that is

happening or happened or about to happen. It provides the background of the event as well.

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Radio News, Reporting and Production MCM515

For instance in this kind of interview following type of questions are asked:

How long did the fire brigade take to reach the spot?

How long did the fire brigade take to put out the fire?

What are company's plans to avoid these kinds of mishaps?

Will the company pay any compensation to the affected families?

Was the company insured?

Investigative Interview

Investigative interview is carried out to get behind the facts to dig out the actual reasons of the accident/

train collision/ air crash/ and the real factors or persons responsible for the accident are brought on

surface.

Some example situations calling for investigative interviews are as under:

Why the team showed poor performance in the match despite having been provided with the best

facilities and trained by the best coach?

Why the minister resigned from his office?

Why is our film industry not getting up to its feet?

Why didn't the fire brigade reach the spot in time?

Why the tank of the fire brigade ran short of water while putting out the fire?