Human responsibilities of investigative journalists in the digital age

Abstract

The rapid development of information and communication technology has resulted in the disappearance of many professions globally, particularly as machines have nearly supplanted humans across various job sectors, including journalism and media. Investigative journalism (IJ) stands as a significant domain impacted by the age of digitization, marked by the surge in open information sources, remote communication technologies, data leaks, and the emergence of programs and applications capable of processing information faster, more accurately, and at a lower cost than human labor. Consequently, this has led to successive waves of employee dismissals in information production sectors, causing journalists and information workers to grapple with anxiety concerning the stability and security of their professional future. This study aimed to investigate the responsibilities and tasks that human journalists can still effectively fulfill within the realm of IJ amidst the advancements in information and communication technology. Through a qualitative approach, in-depth email interviews were conducted with nine journalists specializing in IJ, employing thematic coding analysis. The findings revealed five areas in which human journalists can outperform machines in conducting IJ, including decision-making, storytelling, report planning, information and data analysis, and investigation direction. Moreover, the study proposed five essential measures to safeguard the human role in investigative reporting. These measures encompassed journalist training initiatives, a focus on younger cohorts, the implementation of paid experimental work, the establishment of dedicated pathways for investigative work within press institutions, and the amplification of competitions and awards centered on IJ.