Debunking the romanticism of investigative journalism

By PNG Echo. Investigative journalism is often romantically portrayed as journalism in its most altruistic form: media fulfilling its ‘fourth estate’ function of public ‘watchdog.’ It does this by drawing attention to failures within society’s system of regulation and to the ways in which those systems can be circumvented by the rich, the powerful and the corrupt. (2008, de Burgh P.3) Beattie and Beal talk of the ‘fourth estate’ as the public interest guardians of truth. (2007, Beattie and Beal p.37) and in investigative mode the media has had a number of notable successes in forcing recognition of wrongs and Continue reading Debunking the romanticism of investigative journalism

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No sense of irony: ACP Thomas Eluh (suspended)

By PNG Echo The suspended senior police officer, Thomas Eluh, has released a media statement that cautions that the “[m]edia is not the right forum to discuss PM’s guilt or innocence.” True enough, but Mr. Eluh’s media statement says so much more. And, clearly, Mr Eluh sees no irony in a media release that attempts to censor the media – issued by someone with absolutely no authority. The purpose of media release is to give the press publishable information, not to issue gratuitous threats.

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