FINDING AN IDEA: SETTING OFF TO FIND A STORY

Every story starts with an idea, and this chapter will explain where these ideas can originate.
They can be inspired by newspapers, talking to sources, meeting influential people, or keeping
an eye on a broad range of new developments. Investigative journalism is all about pushing
yourself out of your comfort zone, exploring the unknown and taking calculated risks. Above all,
one must read, read and read, and keep your eyes and ears open!

How to Find a Story

Most stories develop from a reporter’s own areas of interest, from questions raised in an earlier
story or from current events. It could be inspired from something read somewhere, or it may
stem from personal experience, a conversation or a chance remark by somebody. Here, it is
important to understand that it is not easy to generate good story ideas consistently and at every
time. It might be even the toughest part of a journalist’s job.

First, there is the romance factor: Budding investigative journalists often begin their professional
journey with fantasies of being approached in dark alleyways with confidential documents. Once
the contents are revealed, a resulting story makes the front page, with, if all goes well, a byline in
bold print. Praise, recognition and awards follow. And sometimes it does happen that way.
Watergate began with an anonymous tip-off that ultimately led to President Richard Nixon’s
resignation. But generally, anonymous phone calls or top secret documents about political
corruption are rare and need to be checked extremely well. Watergate is cited not only because it
is well-known, but because of the inspired and determined work conducted by the reporters
involved. It is also a great story of political skulduggery at the highest level!

Second, a journalist is never off-duty. They have to keep their eyes open and notice blocked
drains on the road as they travel to work; long queues at the passport office; the rudeness of the
nurse at the clinic. There may be more story ideas than seen at the first glance, requiring an
investigation and some probing. Keep an ideas section in your notebook and jot down everything
you observe or the questions that arise! Better: Record them on your mobile!

Third, reporters complain ‘I don’t have enough evidence!’ even after visiting the site of a story,
talking to people and recording details. But this is already evidence. Something that happens to
you is no less valid as the starting-point for a story than something that happens to someone else.
The advantage is you know it is happening because you experienced it. Reporters are their own
best witness, and it is always preferable to have first-hand experience and observation to help in
shaping a story – backed up by detailed notes taken at the time. Never rely on memories! A
mobile phone with a powerful camera is a huge advantage. So photograph that leaking sewer as
soon as you see it!
The Personal Factor

Two problems could arise while working on a story idea: First, feelings may get in the way of
conducting a balanced investigation. You may be so angry about the behaviour of public officials
that instead of uncovering the story and presenting facts, the story goes on to blame and accuse.
This is where journalists need to confront their own behaviour and feelings to ensure no bias
seeps into in a fact-driven story.

The second potential problem is that individual experience may not be representative. You are
only one person, so it’s useful to get an understanding of how many other people are similarly
affected. Did you experience certain treatment because you are a journalist or a man or a woman
or an educated person? Do others, or have others, experienced the same treatment? Does a
problem happ-ens every day or was today different? The way to overcome this potential pitfall is
to broaden the reporting beyond one single case. Writing about personal experiences is an
opinion column, not an investigative report. To make it a proper report, seek reasons, understand
the context and talk to different people to ensure your final story represents something more than
merely your personal grievance.

These same advantages and disadvantages apply to the people you know and work with. Their
experiences are real but may not be representative and may be biased by personal feelings.
Additionally, steer clear of information conveyed by friends who may not have directly
experienced an issue or problem, instead offering: ‘I have a cousin who knows a woman who
was asked for a bribe at the airport’. Unless the woman has a name, an address and can be
interviewed, this is just rumour or urban legend. So again, experiences can be starting points for
a good investigation – but only starting points.

Dealing with Gossip and Rumour

No medium is better at generating urban legends than ‘roadside radio’, the fast- travelling gossip
and anecdotes of street traders, taxi drivers and passengers, golf course caddies, people close to
politicians and policemen, land brokers and patrons in bars and cafés. However, gossip and
rumours can alert us to real trends and changes. The media is often accused of ‘agenda-setting’,
or telling readers what they ought to be interested in, but rumour also sets its own agenda. Jour-
nalists have to keep their eyes open for clues to stories and their ears alert to the issues people are
discussing. Is the disappearance of girls the result of trafficking? Have people begun abusing a
new type of homebrew? Has a well-known businessman suddenly stopped spending money, or a
top policeman begun socialising with the criminal elite? Roadside radio will tell you about all
these developments, and many of the tales will be true. But journalists should ask themselves
why people believe it. What does it tell about our times and our country? What have people
gossiped about on Facebook?

The first step has to be to confirm the validity of the rumour. Always check with sources that are
in a position to know. Then, check with the local police station about reports of missing girls and
with doctors on cases of alcohol abuse. Ask employees of the businessman how his enterprise is
doing and ask financial analysts about market trends. Look at whether these individuals have
sold assets recently. Observe policeman at play. Only once a rumour has some substance, can the
planning of the story begin.

Evaluating Tip-offs

Many stories that expose wrongdoing start with a tip-off. For example, a contact in the police
department knows about a car-theft racket involving the commissioner; a vengeful ex-spouse
phones the newspaper she subscribes to, denouncing her tax-evading former husband; a
politician tells a friendly editor about an untoward relationship between a company tendering for
a government contract and a member of the tender board.

But this information may not be everything that it seems. It may be untrue and designed to set
one up. It may be only a partial truth, tailored to serve someone else’s agenda. And, true or not, it
may be an attempt to set the reporting agenda for you. The first thing you must do with a tip-off
is question it:

The first thing you must do with a tip-off is question it:

 Is this a subject that I would have written about if I did not get the tip off?
 Is the topic an issue I feel passionate about?
 Has a truth been unearthed here that is really in the public interest?

If information can be corroborated, then in the example of exposing the police commissioner and
his car racket, your answers would probably be yes, yes and yes.

Other Clues

Reading widely is the most important source of story ideas and the best way to improve your
professionalism and writing skills. If you are serious about your beat, reading everything
published about it is a professional duty and base for a professional career in investigative
journalism. Without reading, journalists would not have the a good understanding of how
systems and processes are supposed to work, and therefore what it looks like when something
goes wrong. Do not spend time simply processing the information that happens to come your
way, but rather continually seek out new information to broaden your own knowledge base!

Brant Houston, former executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), reminds
readers that local newspapers carry many seeds for investigative stories. Behind every paid legal
notice lurks a story, whether it deals with wills, name changes, foreclosures, auctions, tenders,
seized properties or unclaimed property. Local newspapers also carry interesting reports on new
construction or government projects and even local court cases. You may find the name of your
school bus driver in a drunk driving case, or the name of a financial officer in a shoplifting case.
What journalists do far too infrequently is to follow published stories. Reader surveys and focus
groups invariably show that readers love follow-ups. They want to know what happens next, why
it happened or what the story is behind terse daily news. Look especially for news stories that
neglect to ask ‘why’ or seem to focus narrowly on only one aspect of an issue. Look also for
alternative ways of covering obvious or regular stories, such as global or national comme-
morative days.

Official and NGO reports often look dull and daunting, and many journalists see reading these as
a routine task rather than a source of exciting stories. But if you read their contents carefully, you
can often uncover new and challenging information that can kick off an investigation.

Although scarce resources or geography may limit your access to overseas publications and
websites, investigative reporters should use whatever channels they can to keep up to date. The
various information services of embassies and non-governmental organisations often have free
reading rooms or libraries, often with Internet access. If there are no alternatives, journalists
should get into the habit of visiting these whenever possible.

If you access Internet regularly, look for news sites and social networks, as Facebook or Twitter,
where you will come across views and counter views. Twitter feeds provide basic information
and the latest news about a wealth of current issues. This is especially important in an area such
as health or science, where the state of accepted wisdom can change quickly. Some journalists in
under-developed areas were still writing stories about the lack of effective treatments for AIDS
years after antiretroviral drugs had been tested and put into successful use in Europe and the U.S.
These journalists simply did not have access to this information, and/or had no access to the
Internet. It took these journalists much longer to move public awareness toward this vital health
issue: the right of access to these drugs and the various ways they are blocked.

How to Verify Hints, Rumours and Facts

Journalists have to investigate all sides of a story, and that includes examining party factions and
tensions, and the conduct of the accuser as well as the accused. But how can tip-offs, gossip,
personal experiences or other forms of research be verified?

Two sets of important questions must be asked when gathering information gleaned during web-
based research. The first is: Who has written this, what are their credentials and what are their
motivations? Anyone can post almost anything on the web, Twitter and Facebook, from genuine
experts to wishful thinkers, lobbyists paid by commercial or political interests or commoners.
That is why evaluating the reliability of information is a must.

The second important question is what public information is available about the individual who
posted the tip? Investigative journalists should try to understand their life story, education, the
directorships they hold, etc. Check their Facebook account and their tweets. When a new
enterprise is mentioned, investigate the main players. Also cross-check links between their
colleagues, rivals or relevant figures in government. If the new agriculture minister also sits on
the board of a major grain trading company, is this legal? Even if it is permitted, surely there is a
conflict of interest. Discovering such links could provide useful insights for a potential story.

Any reports of scarce supplies – like petrol, land or scholarships – can suggest the possibility of
corruption in the allocation of those resources. Asking questions, such as who are the
gatekeepers of these supplies and how the allocation mechanisms are supposed to work, can help
identify potential corruption, where scarcity is turned into someone’s personal gain. By checking
websites closely, investigative journalists can get an idea of what information these individuals
have revealed and how much they are hiding.

It is fairly easy for a prominent state official or politician to access or create documentary
‘evidence’ that seems to underpin false or partial allegations. Documents can be forged by
anyone with access to official letterheads, a computer and a photocopier. But even if they are
real, documents can be carefully selected to paint a partial, half-true picture, with other crucial
documents strategically omitted.

At times, documents can be so complex or technical that non-specialist journalists cannot

understand them and need to rely on a source’s expertise. Such documents should be discussed
with independent experts, such as accountants, lawyers or doctors. But even seemingly simple
documents are prone to mis-interpretation. Sometimes an allegation turns out to be true, but the
misconductmay be relatively insignificant. When corruption allegations fly as commonly as
mosquitos, journalists have to be very careful not to fall victim to the agendas of informants
trying to use them to neutralise rivals, remove obstacles and realise their own ambitions.

Another form of routine investigation is regular conversations with contacts in various fields.
Establishing a good relationship, one that will produce fruitful news before other reporters are
alerted, requires regular contact with sources without a set agenda. If you only contact sources
when you need them, they will begin to feel used. This is called ‘working’ your contacts. But
stories from these sources will not automatically jump out and wave at you. You will have to be
creative and inquisitive to find good story ideas.