Opinion | Columnists
The case for investigative journalism
There needs to be a revolution of thought, a call to wake up media personalities, historians and politicians, to allow them to grasp the true meaning of 'to investigate'.
- By Mohammad Faisal Al Qasimi, Special to Gulf News
- Published: 23:15 May 21, 2009
- Image Credit: Photo Illustration: Nino Jose Heredia/Gulf News
There is a large amount of power in the media and it is being felt," with these words, Seymour Hersch explained the significance of investigative journalism in the 21st century at the Arab Media Forum in Dubai last week. Some would argue, why investigative journalism?
There are other tools, such as analytical writing, narrative, etc. To those I would say, yes the media does its job but it takes a true journalist, an improviser, one who sees the story unfolding to classify as an investigative journalist. Others would say the nature of politics in the West does not apply to us. Indeed it does not, but the tool of investigative journalism does.
The launch of the Arab Media Forum, last week, helped revive the spirit of investigative journalism. Media personalities from around the world sat together and discussed ideas which one day will shape the nature of journalism in the region.
Some argued passionately about starting the wheel of investigative journalism, while others sat receptively jotting down every piece of word uttered by the speakers.
Arabs have gone far enough when it comes to diversifying their economies and building economic capital; not to suggest that social development has been left out, but it has been dwarfed the developments in other arenas. Media has been used to report stories and does not suggest anything new.
There needs to be a revolution of thought, a call to wake up media personalities, businessmen, historians and politicians, to allow them to grasp the true meaning of 'to investigate'.
The whole concept of investigative journalism means to dwell on facts - to leave no paper, stone and object, which could be used in significance, unturned. It is to reveal what is true, or the intent behind things, the factors that make them up and sustain their form. It is to study the structure of things and their associations and see whether they fit and adhere to their named logical manner.
Most investigative journalist reveals atrocities conducted by their governments, cases of corruption and political blackmail. The likes of Seymour Hersh and Wilfred Burchett, where the former revealed the Mai Lai massacre in which 500 helpless women, children and the elderly were murdered by American troops, during the Vietnam war.
Burchett, on the other hand, revealed the future fear of a nuclear warfare and radiation in his Atomic Plague, following the American bombings on Hiroshima.
The call for investigative journalism in the Arab world takes another form, one which stresses the act of investigation and deliberation in all fields.
A form of journalism which continues and sets a path when all other doors are closed. The kind of journalism which naturally forms the argument and sets the pieces to the picture of the future of the region.
It should be like an investigative expedition for seeking the truth - a job which has to be done necessarily, more than any time in history; one which will provide insightful guidance to the future of the Arab people.
The challenge we are faced with is a rigid one. It should be felt by all and requires unparallel collaboration between the authorities, the media and the masses.
It should set things in motion and allow the writer and the reader to form a relationship, one which builds on the intensification of reality, a deep and mutual understanding that there is no constant truth, that things shift and take different forms at times and are subject to different interpretation given their time in history, and that the quest, more than anything else is what truly matters.
It should encompass subjects from cancer to science in Islam, or perhaps explaining certain chemical reactions. The future of the environment in the UAE, the socio-economic culture, the formation of the culture, the cultivation of values within society, the threat and the opportunities that present themselves to the region. The future of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) currency, education and language influence on intelligence and nationalism.
The concept of hierarchy and individualism, the West and the East. Traffic in the Emirates, the future of rail transportation, the prospect of a trans-Emirati railway system. Healthcare and science, or even the life and times of Buddha.
The call, more than anything else, is a call to refresh, to inspire, to invigorate and provide something new.
An oath, to never stop, to continue to challenge and provide insight. So I say, tie the ropes, build the structures, ready the horses, sharpen the pencils and publish those papers.
Mohammad Faisal Al Qasimi is a recent graduate of the American University of Sharjah.
Your comments
Media holds the supreme power in today's world. And, definitely investigative journalism adds more to it. It's important for the facts to be told to the people. Generations come and go, but the truth must never die. In this regard, journalism actually plays a vital role in the society.
Agniyah Shaikh
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: May 22, 2009, 13:03
Finally, a voice of reason, logic sprinkled with a liberal dose of intelligence. This is my first congratulations to you, Gulf News, for running this article. Let's hope, for both our sakes, that this trend of true, pertinent reporting continues.
A Reader
,
Posted: May 22, 2009, 08:23
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