TBIJ's Rosa Furneaux covers the basics of the trade: spotting a story, protecting sensitive sources and firing off an FOI
Investigative journalism is where a lot of the hardcore journalistic skills shine: spotting something to investigate, gaining evidence through FOIs (freedom of information requests) and working with whistleblowers.
But how do reporters cultivate these tricky skills? At an event held by JournoResources, Rosa Furneaux, investigative global health reporter of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ), offered tips to land your first investigative scoops.
Furneaux is an award-winning journalist that has since joining the Bureau in the early days of the pandemic, been working to uncover Pfizer's vaccine contracts in Latin America, expose the baby formula industry's unethical marketing techniques in Asia, and reveal the global spread of a substandard, contaminated cancer medicine putting tens of thousands of children at risk.
Furneaux says a simple idea for a feature article can turn into an investigative piece, like this piece on Oakland’s fire department. A sharper investigative angle can be found by asking three simple questions:
Furneaux often works with hard-to-reach contacts, like Government officials, former Pharma company employees and whistle-blowers. Avoid sending sensitive information on open platforms such as Twitter DMs. Instead, opt for a secure spreadsheet with all your source's contact information.
Remember to remain in contact with them in the build-up and aftermath of the story’s publication.
FOIs are an investigative journalist’s best friend, as an official method to method of gaining information from public authorities, such as Government departments, local councils, and NHS England. The steps a journalist should take when sending an FOI request are as follows:
If you want to work in investigative journalism, editors and hiring managers often seek someone who is analytical, well-organised and persistent.
Furneaux also suggests how important it is that you provide evidence of long-term, self-led stories which will demonstrate initiative and originality.
Investigative journalism is a lot like other types of journalism in that it fundamentally requires you to be a story-go-getter and not accept no for an answer. Most newsroom roles will give you the chance to develop these skills.
"Don’t be afraid to go into a job that’s in feature news or profiles just because you're desperate to become an investigative reporter," she says.
If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).
Sign up to receive job alerts of your choice by email, or manage your subscription
Featured recruiter: click to view its vacancies
Regional news publication seeks a news editor who can build on its online growth and ensure that its printed paper is of the highest quality
Subscribe to our newsletter for latest news, tips, jobs and more
End that deadline stress today and find help in our freelance directory
Kindred Forest partners with Volker Lehmann and local families to bring Wild Beniano Cacao from the Amazon direct to the UK for first time. The Wild Chocolate bar blends rare flavours and sustainability: 20 per cent of profits go to rainforest conservation
Our next Newsrewired conference will be in May 2025, London.
Conferences and study weeks are fantastic opportunities to get the latest updates on the industry and network with your peers
Awards are a great way to have your hard work recognised by industry experts and celebrate your teams. Here is where you can apply
If you find your social feeds a tad too heavy on men's voices, follow and connect with these fantastic women experts on indie media
How do you move print readers to digital? Are there other ways to hold on to subscribers besides a last-ditch deal?