Midia Agreement

							The ABC of investigative
      journalism

Nils Hanson,Swedish Television
       nils.hanson@svt.se
      What we want to achieve

• Reaction among general public
• Impact on other media
• Solution to the problem
    Steps to reach the goal

A. Adopting tough challenges
B. Proving the wrong-doing
C. Investigating yourself
           A.
Adopting tough challenges
                      Very important




             Easy                      Difficult




                      Less important
Source: IRE Journal
Sentenced 8 years
Wrongly convicted
                                 Very important


                            Yes         Risky


        Easy                                      Difficult

                      Tempting            No



                                 Less important
Source: IRE Journal
    Starting point

It is not like it is said to be
                        Getting on the track
                        Think like a corrupt person




Thanks to Ulla Danne´
 The key question
 What opportunities exist
to profit from the system?
        Investigating systems

• How is it supposed to work - according to
  the rules?
• How does it work – in reality?
       Where to investigate?

• Which problem is the biggest?
• Which problem is the most neglected?
• Which problem is the most upsetting?
Examining the idea
Checklist for the idea
    •   Title
    •   Summary
    •   Previously published
    •   Minimum
    •   Maximum
    •   Timetable
The minimum
 Good enough
  to publish
  The maximum
What you hope to achieve
  but can not promise
     Reach minimum

• Identify key facts
• Begin with the least complicated
• Secure a ”secret”
Case: Wrongly convicted

• Daughter´s school
Case: Wrongly convicted

•   Daughter´s school
•   Daughter´s friends
•   Daddy´s work
•   Stated scenes of the crime
The most important question

     What is the weak link?
  Assumption becomes conviction



Hypothesis             Thesis
     Avoid tunnel-vision

•   Seek other explanations
•   Listen to the sceptical
•   Examine the expert
•   Question the victim
 Questions to the victim

- Your own responsibility?
- Could you have done more yourself?
- Can you prove your allegations?
- Do you have anything to hide?
A common mistake
 Wait too long with the
     key interview
  Advantage confrontating early

• Avoids unpleasant surprises
• Givs time to examine the explanation
• Easier to get the lie on record
         B.
Proving the wrongdoing
Work out the method
Learn how the system works
   Learn how the system works

• Routines
• Processes
• Key players
• Transparency
• Weaknesses
... and so on
Get the documents you need

      - even the classified
Convince the official - step 1

•   Meeting without pressure
•   No interview
•   Just want to know how it works
•   Help with checking facts
     Convince the offical – step 2

•   Involve in the project
•   References
•   Letter of recommendation
•   Examples of your work
•   Agreement
  The officials´ reaction

1. ”The reporter is serious”
2. ”This is important”
3. ”I want to help!”
 The risky method

Using anonymous sources
    Check the source
•   The position of the source?
•   Can the information be confirmed?
•   Is it credible?
•   Does it fit in with the pattern?
•   Background of the source?
•   The motive?
•   Pass the”lie detector”?
       Protect the source

•   Be careful with the phone
•   Don´t send email (unless encrypted)
•   Use alias
•   Meet at safe places
•   Discuss how facts can be used
         C.

Investigating yourself
               Keep a diary

•   Telephone calls
•   Interviews
•   Promises
•   Meetings
•   Ordering public documents
•   Problems
•   Ideas
            Line by line-editing

•   Is all the factual information correct?
•   Are all the conclusions well founded
•   Is there any essential information missing?
•   Have the criticised had a chance to reply to
    all serious criticism?
             Line-by-lining

• Mark all facts
• All correct?
• Verification through
documents
• Names, figures, quotes…
            Line-by-lining

And not the least:
Are all conclusions
well founded?
The subject
•Identify all criticizm
•Informed about all allegations?
•Response to all?
              Delicate questions

•   Relevant information missing?
•   Would other facts change the general picture?
•   Reason to hide the selection of facts?
•   Can the selection be criticized?
         Beware of temptations

• Making too much of the little that is new
• Selecting facts to produce ”the right conclusion”
• Scraping together everything there is
Be patient
 - have luck
svt.se/granskning
nils.hanson@svt.se
         D.

Demand accountability
              The key interview

•   Insist on a meeting
•   Be careful with reservations
•   Start with checking the facts
•   Identify the key questions
•   Be prepared for ”message track”
•   Don´t forget any allegation
The subject refuses
 •   Inform about manuscript
 •   Get answers elsewhere
 •   Hidden recording
 •   Make an ambush
         Making breaking news

•   Portion the story
•   ”Plant” the story
•   Send press releases
•   Initiate reactions
•   Plan follow-ups
The advanced method
  Stage a fake situation
     Hidden camera

• Major public interest
• Only one possible method
• Supplementary material from open
  sources
• Explanation from the target