BSJ Investigative Journalism Techniques 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is FOIA and why is it important to investigative journalists in the U.S.?
- Freedom of Information Act — gives journalists the right to request federal government records (Correct answer)
- Federal Online Information Archive — a database of public records
- Foundation of Investigative and Open Access — an NGO supporting press freedom
- Freedom of Intellectual and Opinion Acts — a Supreme Court ruling
Correct answer: Freedom of Information Act — gives journalists the right to request federal government records
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gives the public, including journalists, the legal right to request access to records held by federal government agencies.
Question 2: What is 'document-driven journalism'?
- Journalism that relies solely on press releases for story leads
- Reporting that centers on obtaining and analyzing primary source documents to verify claims (Correct answer)
- Writing that focuses on historical events only
- Journalism that avoids using anonymous sources
Correct answer: Reporting that centers on obtaining and analyzing primary source documents to verify claims
Document-driven journalism uses primary source records—contracts, emails, court filings—as the evidentiary backbone of a story rather than relying on verbal accounts alone.
Question 3: What does 'source protection' mean in investigative journalism?
- Backing up digital files to protect against data loss
- Keeping a confidential source's identity secret to prevent retaliation (Correct answer)
- Protecting a reporter from lawsuits filed by sources
- Using encryption to secure sources of advertising revenue
Correct answer: Keeping a confidential source's identity secret to prevent retaliation
Source protection means safeguarding the identity of a confidential source who could face harm, job loss, or legal jeopardy if exposed.
Question 4: What is a 'whistleblower' in the context of investigative journalism?
- A sports journalist covering referee misconduct
- An insider who discloses misconduct, illegality, or wrongdoing within an organization (Correct answer)
- A source who contacts multiple news organizations simultaneously
- An editor who alerts reporters to ethical violations
Correct answer: An insider who discloses misconduct, illegality, or wrongdoing within an organization
A whistleblower is an insider—employee, contractor, or official—who reveals confidential information about wrongdoing within an organization to journalists or authorities.
Question 5: What are 'public records' commonly used in U.S. investigative journalism?
- Interview transcripts approved for public release
- Government-held documents accessible to the public under sunshine laws, such as court filings, property records, and budgets (Correct answer)
- Only federal documents obtained through FOIA requests
- Published academic research used as background material
Correct answer: Government-held documents accessible to the public under sunshine laws, such as court filings, property records, and budgets
Public records include court documents, property deeds, budget filings, campaign finance reports, and other government documents accessible under state and federal open records laws.
Question 6: Why do investigative journalists typically seek multiple independent sources to corroborate a claim?
- To meet word count requirements for long-form articles
- To reduce the risk of publishing false information based on a single biased or mistaken account (Correct answer)
- To satisfy legal requirements for print publication
- To increase the number of named sources in a story
Correct answer: To reduce the risk of publishing false information based on a single biased or mistaken account
Corroboration from multiple independent sources minimizes the risk that a single mistaken, biased, or deceptive source will cause inaccurate reporting.
BSJ Investigative Journalism Techniques 1
What is FOIA and why is it important to investigative journalists in the U.S.?