Because the work of investigative journalism challenges the status quo and exposes wrong doing, the profession tend to have problems with the custodians of the law and the upper class. People usually do not understand the environment and the practice of investigative journalists because investigative journalists is not mainstream or traditional journalism where news stories are presented from top-to-bottom with little or no participation by the grassroots.
Investigative Journalism does not provide a convenient excuse for authoritarian governments to suppress free speech and to indoctrinate or brainwash people to believe in their self-serving ideologies. Because of this, they are always hunted by governments and those affected by their work. Julian Assange is still facing trial in the UK or possible extradition to the US to face prosecution for espionage charges. His crime was to publish war crime activities of the US on Wikileaks. In Ghana, Manasseh had to run to South Africa for his life after an investigative documentary. Anas Aremyaw is seen a devil by those he exposes. These are individuals who goes undercover to bring us stories of duty bearers cutting shady deals that are shrouded in secrecy.
As a society, we must understand that the works of an investigative journalist is part of a broad professionals of journalists whose duty is to report and hold duty bearers accountable. We must not see the practice of these forms of journalism as an enemy of the state or the establishments. No nation has develop into a model state where its journalists re-echo governments statements and reported speeches.
Recently, Caleb Kudah came under attack for his attempt to video in the confines of national security building. There was this erroneous impression created in the public space as if he committed a crime or something that cannot be done in other states. But what the public does not know is that, there is a difference in undertaking a cover or subterfuge to carry a story of public interest than taking a cover for your own personal gains such as blackmailing. What Caleb sort to expose regardless of its location was significant in journalism because, there was significant public interest in his work. Its time the people accept these principles as ethical and standard practice around the globe.
Our politics is so porous to the extent that, the opposition agrees with every expose of a journalist but quick to discredit it while in power. To be an investigative journalist in Ghana today means that, you need to be a freelance journalist because the probability of the state to descend on your media house and its affiliate in other to drop a story or deny you of advertisement is really high.
As a student, i disagree with some of the principles adopted by Anas Aremyaw Anas however, no principle person with integrity would be expose by his work. In essence, the works of investigative reporters may differ from each other in terms of style and approach however, it all seeks to achieve the same results of exposing the rots in the society and as such, it is about time to get more investigative journalists into the system looking at the exponential growth of corruption and impunity in this country. The works of the few we have however challenging their working environment may seem, has save this country millions of dollars that were sinking to private funds and pockets. Reported speeches and arm chair broadcasting has not deliver and would not deliver the outcomes we seek to achieve but rather development journalism working side by side with investigative journalism, adversarial journalism is the best approach to deliver this nation to its destination it seeks to arrive at.
I believe investigative reporters needs to be checked to make sure they are not use by glib politicians as a tool to suppress and opponent for political expediency. Journalists are not demigods neither are they infallible in their actions, they regularly make mistakes that needs to be checked so as to make sure that they are not powerful than the people they seek give voices to. Because their work is more responsive and development in its approach, it needs a certain working ethics and standards to make sure that, it is not tamed by the establishments.
The society should be ready for more radical/insurgent form of journalism that moves hand-in-hand with investigative journalism whose main aim is to dare the odds and risk their lives to expose the wrong among us while giving hope to the masses whose plight is as a result of the shrouded activities that remains unexposed.
I believe it's about time we get more of these journalists to contribute to the fight against corruption, misappropriations and state capture by the establishments and oligarchs.
