Watching the Watchdog: Investigating Journalism

Although no form of self-policing of journalism has failed, none has adequately raised the bar of ethical conduct. This paper proposes that regular investigative journalism by journalists of journalism might help reduce instances of journalistic corruption. Performing investigative journalism on journalism asks nothing more of journalists than to adhere to their own expectations of other institutions of power, such as business and government. This paper explores whether investigative journalism is a fundamentally capable mechanism for journalistic self-regulation.