Investigative stories...where are they?

[pumpkinboy]

Re: Investigative stories...where are they?

We did see them. Done by the Associated Press. Who are mainstream "national media."

Seems you don't understand how the AP works.

They actually have staff writers and photogs who go out and do stories. They routinely win awards for their work.

As for Frankie's Market's and craigwatanabe's insinuation that "local" reporters might be afraid to report on stories here... well, obviously they're out of touch with reality. Remember, they don't actually do this for a living -- working media (or do they? If so, spill the beans), so they have no clue. >>"the foot you may be stepping on may be your next boss"

Like we really care...

...I sure don't. If I did, I wouldn't be doing what I do.

Okay, why aren't we seeing MORE of these types of reports?

Why only once in a blue moon?

[pumpkinboy]

Re: Investigative stories...where are they?

Since this thread was posted in broadcast, i'm assuming the first question was directed towards why there arent that many broadcast news investigative stories anymore, at least on the local tv level.

the answer is the same as it is for print. money.

tv newsroom budgets get smaller each year. that means many things. one is you have to hire reporters who are cheaper, younger, and less experienced. and by the time they get the experience to start doing some good investigative pieces they find out the hawaii tv market can't pay them what they're worth, so they have to go work for public relations firms, become lawyers, or private investigators.

then you have the problem that burl pointed out about allocating time and energy toward researching something and coming up with zilch at the end. newspapers can't afford to do that too often and it's even worse for tv. take this imaginary scenario from a tv newsroom:

reporter: hey, i need some time to investigate something.

assignment desk: is whatever story you're working on going to be ready by the 5 p.m. show?

reporter: hell no. did you hear me? i need time to investigate, as in go over documents, meet with sources off camera, and file public disclosure requests, that sort of thing. the story might be ready next week.

assignment desk: forget it. i've got three reporters and nine things to cover today. maybe if you come in on your day off and work for free to set stuff up we can schedule an hour between other assignments next week.

reporter: kiss my ass.

okay, maybe not exactly like that, but you get the picture.

then you have advertising dollars dwindling in both tv and print and less and less general managers/publishers willing to piss advertisers off and have them pull their ads. there was a time when a tv station did a story about local pharmacy screwing up perscriptions and the store (who was and is still a big advertiser) threatened to pull ads because of the story. the station told the pharmacy to screw themselves because it was a good story and people needed to know and the ads were pulled and money lost. Well those days are loooooooong gone. For example, when was the last time that there was an investigative piece about a local car dealership? Ain't gonna happen anytime soon.

Very interesting and very depressing.

Makes sense though. Thanks for the information and write-up.

[pumpkinboy]

Re: Investigative stories...where are they?

Here's an easy one that affects pretty much all of us.

Shopping carts and sanitation.

I welcome anyone to go to some of the supermarkets and peek into the shopping carts. You MAY see a lot of grime in there, at least I did last week when I looked when I visited one outlet.

A lot of them also had dirty, used napkins, candy wrappers and stuff left from other customers.

Don't forget the front seat area where people can put their toddlers and let them sit. Yes, someone's butt was just there where you put your fresh eggs and bag of apples.

How often are these carts cleaned if at all? What kinds of germs are lurking there and how can they affect you the consumer?

And what about the carts that are taken and used by the homeless to hold their belongings, some even collect their urine and feces in jars, and place the jars in the carts!

When these carts are rounded up and collected, are they washed?

[lavagal]

Re: Investigative stories...where are they?

so you're the guy who goes shopping in latex gloves and a face mask!

[Kalihiboy]

Re: Investigative stories...where are they?

I could tell you some wild stories from actual tv reporters who were investigative reporters, some who even lost their jobs (or were threatened to be fired). Why? Because they dug up dirt on (unbeknownst to them) the very same sponsors who ran ads during their newscasts.

Aj

[sin]

Re: Investigative stories...where are they?

I work for a newsroom whose publisher was a reporter himself and is very business savy. He told me when I was hired that he would never pull a story because of advertiser concerns and he has kept true to his word. The approach he does take is that he is extremely critical of the reporter's story and makes sure he or she has all their bases covered before they start pissing off advertisers, which is a good thing. Then again this is the only newspaper in town, so advertisers don't have many options.

On a related topic, is KHON still doing Action Line? I only ask because of all the news reports in town to piss off advertisers and businesses it was Action Line. At the same time it was well watched by viewers so it was a stalemate.

[sin]

Re: Investigative stories...where are they?

Here's an easy one that affects pretty much all of us.

Shopping carts and sanitation.

I welcome anyone to go to some of the supermarkets and peek into the shopping carts. You MAY see a lot of grime in there, at least I did last week when I looked when I visited one outlet.

A lot of them also had dirty, used napkins, candy wrappers and stuff left from other customers.

Don't forget the front seat area where people can put their toddlers and let them sit. Yes, someone's butt was just there where you put your fresh eggs and bag of apples.

How often are these carts cleaned if at all? What kinds of germs are lurking there and how can they affect you the consumer?

And what about the carts that are taken and used by the homeless to hold their belongings, some even collect their urine and feces in jars, and place the jars in the carts!

When these carts are rounded up and collected, are they washed?

Sorry pumpkin boy, but if a tv station or newspaper did this as an investigative piece just on shopping carts i think they'd be laughed out of town. What would the headline or lede be? SHOPPING CARTS, ARE THEY PUTTING YOU AT RISK?!?!? Maybe as part of a bigger piece about bacteria in people's environments that they encounter everyday but i can't see it running as a stand alone story.

[scsdogg]

Re: Investigative stories...where are they?

yeah...somewhat like those "look a what's growing on your phone...keyboard...desktop...." type of stories. TOTALLY played out....yet someone is probably gonna run something like that this may or november.....LAME!!!!

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Investigative stories...where are they?

As for Frankie's Market's and craigwatanabe's insinuation that "local" reporters might be afraid to report on stories here... well, obviously they're out of touch with reality. Remember, they don't actually do this for a living -- working media (or do they? If so, spill the beans), so they have no clue. >>"the foot you may be stepping on may be your next boss"

Like we really care...

...I sure don't. If I did, I wouldn't be doing what I do.

Then why hide behind an alias if you don't really care. And Dick I did work in the media and yes editors have the final say. Even if you do push and announce something out of character for that station, you may get the slap on the wrist from the news director or PD or GM as it may impact the sales from their sponsors.

I would love to see investigative reporting here in Hawaii, but let's face it. You do story on AUW and it's bad, remember there are a lot of influential people sitting on the boards of a lot of these huge non-profit organizations. Step on their toes and you step on the toes of a CEO who just provided huge advertising dollars to your newsgroup.

You work in a newsroom, you have a boss, that boss works for larger manager whose boss sits on a board. This board finds out their being investigated by you. Now you'll care who you investigate. It's called getting the rub by your boss.

This state is too small to talk stink about anyone because even on this board, the person you are flaming could be the person sitting right next to you in the breakroom or worse yet, your boss. It's already happened right here on Mel's website before it became affiliated with Hawaii Threads with an anonymous poster who flamed Paul Wilson at KSSK. Turned out it was someone from KSSK who used the computer in the Jock Lounge to flame with. Back then all posters had their IP addresses posted with their post.

[pumpkinboy]

Re: Investigative stories...where are they?

so you're the guy who goes shopping in latex gloves and a face mask!

oh no, my secret's out!

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Investigative stories...where are they?

Working for Home depot I see a lot of crap in our shopping carts. Stuff like soiled diapers is very common in carts. I don't think there's anything to investigate about but it does pose a health issue.

I'd like to see some investigation on the things we take for granted that takes in a lot of grant monies such as some of the more popular non-profits or even some of our own environmental watchdogs. Who do they support that has an influence in their day to day operations? If they support anyone at all?

Unfounded? Well let's investigate and find out.

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: Investigative stories...where are they?

I could tell you some wild stories from actual tv reporters who were investigative reporters, some who even lost their jobs (or were threatened to be fired). Why? Because they dug up dirt on (unbeknownst to them) the very same sponsors who ran ads during their newscasts.

Aj

I don't know if this story was an urban legend in local broadcasting news. Did Jack Hawkins get fired from KITV because he wanted to run an investigative report on Liberty Bank who was a sponsor on their channel 4 news broadcast?

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Investigative stories...where are they?

I don't know if this story was an urban legend in local broadcasting news. Did Jack Hawkins get fired from KITV because he wanted to run an investigative report on Liberty Bank who was a sponsor on their channel 4 news broadcast?

Hmmm...now that in itself would make a great investigative story

[dick]

Re: Investigative stories...where are they?

Then why hide behind an alias if you don't really care.

You may have missed something somewhere along the line, but I'm Richard Walker, and I work at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin (although, of course, my views and opinions are just that -- mine, not my employer's).

I'm not hiding, dude. That's been out for quite a while.

Hey look! There I am! >> http://www.midweek.com/content/paina/image_full/13539/

[sin]

Re: Investigative stories...where are they?

Craig I agree with you that investigative stories are more difficult to push through, especially nowadays. When I was in journalism school my instructors assured me newsrooms were beacons of integrity that won't let advertisers dictate coverage. Well the newsrooms won't but station managers and publishers will bend if revenue is at stake. Some of them anyway. It's a sad state of affairs.

That said however, I have had good bosses in both print and broadcast who have fought tooth and nail against that sort of outside influence. Sometimes they win and sometimes the story gets killed. We have to keep on pushing the envelope I guess otherwise it's the public who suffers.

By the way, I just want to say that i am not, and never have been, an investigative reporter. I'm just a grunt reporter who will on occasion dig hard and deep for a story when I have to. I have never been told not to run a story (sorry, double negative), at least not yet. Then again, maybe I just haven't been pissing the right people off.