Investigative Journalism

Overview

About the programme

Journalists are the watchdogs of democracy. With globalization placing extraordinary pressures on human societies, posing unprecedented threats from pollution, transnational criminals, rogue states and terror networks, climate change, and the actions of powerful figures in business and politics, the need for investigative journalism has never been greater.

Our watchdogs are now forced to extend their investigations internationally. These developments demand a new understanding of how conditions for investigative reporting differ between countries in terms of regulation, risks, and the nature of corruption at all levels of society. They also require new journalistic methods, techniques, and transnational collaborations.

Preparing you for a changing industry

The Investigative Journalism programme of the University of Gothenburg provides knowledge and skills in investigative journalism in digital environments, with specialization in international perspectives, data journalism, and high-impact digital publishing.

The programme is well established in the journalistic profession and the news industry, and developed in consultation with them. The goal is to prepare you for a changing news business through optimizing knowledge and skills that are essential in this turbulent market (data-driven journalism and visualization, project management, entrepreneurship, cross-sectional partnerships) but also fundamental journalistic values and ethics. You will develop the skills to monitor transnational institutions, business, and politics.

Combining practice with theory

We have an explicit pedagogical goal of moving away from the distinction between the academic and professional spheres that so often characterize vocational programmes. This is expressed by emphasizing the methodological and problematizing aspects of journalism, as well as the possibilities of applying scientific perspectives and research for journalistic purposes. This goal is also highlighted in the choice we provide you for your final degree project, which can be carried out as an investigative journalistic project or as an academic thesis. Each demands high requirements in using theoretical perspectives to formulate a relevant hypothesis, choosing the most suitable method to investigate it, and presenting the results with maximum impact.

The course is campus-based and built around the student’s active involvement.