The chair of Investigative Journalism Studies is created by the Dutch-Flemish Association of Investigative Journalists (VVOJ) and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU). It is funded by Democracy and Media Fund (Stichting Democratie en Media), the Gieskes-Strijbis Fund en Veronica Foundation (Stichting Veronica). The aim of this chair is to scientifically research and increase the democratic relevance and societal impact of investigative journalism. The legal entity behind the chair is the Scientific Research Foundation for Investigative Journalism (Stichting Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Onderzoeksjournalistiek).
This will be done concretely through three lines of research that provide insight into both the social and democratic value of investigative journalism and its professional challenges.
The first line of research will focus on quantifying the democratic and social impact of Flemish and Dutch investigative journalism productions. Extensive data research into stories over several years will provide insight into which topics and policy domains are most frequently investigated by investigative journalists. It will also provide insights into the average scope and the degree of transparency regarding the methods used. There is also a strong desire to qualitatively deepen several stories and supplement them with the experiences of investigative journalists regarding the (desired) impact of their work. These findings will contribute to empirically based knowledge about which factors influence the impact of productions.
The second line of research focuses on the impact of values on the production process, from subject choice to ethical considerations and choices in framing and narratives. Investigative journalists not only have a professional identity but are also driven by personal and professional values regarding justice, power relations, and responsibility, among other things. How aware are investigative journalists of these values, both individually and professionally, and within the values of the media outlet they work for? Research into these values (and transparency about them) helps us better understand why certain stories are told (and not others), how stories are presented, and this will contribute to more reflective (and therefore more effective) investigative journalism.
The third line of research concerns factors that impact the sense of identity and job satisfaction of investigative journalists. Academic research into the effects of resistance and opposition is essential to understand how we can protect and strengthen the financial, moral, and emotional well-being of investigative journalists, so that they can do their work most effectively and editors can make informed decisions.