Is Investigative Journalism Essential to Democracy - Essay Example

DRAFT Case Study Analysis: Is Investigative Journalism Essential to Democracy? Unit History has it that media has been a veryinfluential force in promoting democracy. Also known as the ‘fourth arm of the government,’ media has helped unearth incidences that have changed the way governments operate all across the world. Journalism ensures the public are made aware of issues that are within their reach, thereby helping protect the interests of the public. Through legislations and influence by those in power has affected the freedom of journalism over the years, journalists have strived to do ensure that they keep informing the public even when they are sure that they are exposing their lives to danger. In particular, investigative journalism has led to the fall of various unethical leaderships and ousting of corrupt governments in various parts of the world. Chief among the key events that investigative journalism has unearthed include the Watergate scandal and Joseph McCarthy’s propaganda plot. In addition, corrupt governments in Latin America have been exposed through the efforts of investigative journalists. This led to ousting of President Fernando Collor de Mello of Brazil in 1992, President Abdala Bucaram of Ecuador in 1997, President Alberto Fujimori of Peru in 2000, and President Carlos Andres Perez of Venezuela in 1993. These are a few cases where investigative journalism has facilitated the widening of the democratic space while ensuring that the public interest is taken care of. In this essay, an analysis of the case of Joseph McCarthy’s propaganda and that of President Alberto Fujimori of Peru will be put into perspective. Investigative journalism has over the years has promoted the attainment of a democratic society. On one end, it has helped the society embrace governments and institutions. On the other hand, the journalists have investigated incidences where there are excesses of the democratic privilege. In such scenarios, democracy has been used abused and individuals used it for their selfish interests. The media has the responsibility of exposing any matter for the sake of the even though the issue implicates individuals in authority. Through such interventions, investigative journalists ensure that people get the opportunity to express their views based on valid information that has been obtained from credible sources. Media also provides a platform in which performance is monitored for government and institutions. In many cases, scandals revealed through investigative reports trigger judicial investigations while at the same time providing evidence of wrongdoing. In instances where the investigative reports are not acted upon, the media has the discretion to question the functionality of the investigating and prosecuting authorities. This further promotes democracy within the country. In addition, the public can arise and rebel against structures and individuals that have been found to engage in unlawful acts. Investigative journalism’s pivotal role is to ensure that the public is in tune with what is happening. This helps nurture the democracy in a country for it helps in promoting public participation. Courtesy of investigative journalists Edward Murrow and Fred Friendly, the plot by Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy to create propaganda on communism was curtailed. The World War II has just ended and the cold war was emerging between capitalists and communists. McCarthy becomes so popular at the beginning of 1950. This was courtesy of the claims that senior federal government officers were among the communist spies. This brought a sense of anxiety and fear in the country. The two journalists undertook to investigate the actions and utterances by the senator. The report, which aired on March 9, 1954 on CBS-TV badly, exposed the senator. The journalists cast doubt in the senator’s utterances by logically analyzing his words, highlighting and criticizing his utterances. The documentary created a public outrage against the senator across the country. Tension eased and the McCarthy’s propaganda was not taken easily; it led to his censure, an aspect led to his dwindling popularity across the country. In the case of Senator McCarthy, democratic space in the United States was checked. In this regard, the right of the Senator to express his views was guaranteed, but the problem arose when he opted to propagate propaganda that was not founded on concrete grounds. The reporters came out with fair arguments that were based mainly on the utterances by the Senator. This made it almost impossible for the senator o get himself out of the hook. The reporters logically appealed to the listeners of the documentary by bringing forth all the arguments that the McCarthy brought forwards and analyzed them to show to the Americans that the propaganda was a malicious scheme by the senator. The report helped ease tension and make the heightened suspicion that had risen cooled down. The health of a democracy is enhanced by credible investigations that are based on evidence about situations. Through investigative journalism, like it was in the case scenario, wrongdoing that affects the public is exposed. It was evident that the reporters made effort to ensure that they control on the excesses of the freedom of expression provided by the constitution. Investigative journalism has the role of ensuring that the elite and those in power do not use loopholes in democratic space to advance their malicious schemes. Deceptive leaders and elite can easily mislead the people to think and believe in a certain way. On the other hand, something that has been prevalent in the society can be questioned courtesy of the investigations done by journalists. McCarthy is one such of deceptive leaders through his allegations that created suspicion and anxiety in the United States. When these influential individuals manipulate the population, the country can easily take a wrong direction. For example, if some of the federal government officials that were suspected to be spies were exposed to the public; there would be a great resentment, which would result to a crisis. An investigative journalist ought to address all the issue surrounding a given situation for the public to comprehend fully. Investigative journalism has helped in the growth of democracy in Latin America. Over the last three decades, there have been heighted investigations by journalists in Latin America concerning corruption and abuse of office by the leaders. This has resulted to the ousting of President Fernando Collor de Mello of Brazil in 1992, President Abdala Bucaram of Ecuador in 1997, President Alberto Fujimori of Peru in 2000, and President Carlos Andres Perez of Venezuela in 1993. In this regard, there has been an improved accountability that is now being seen in most of these countries. Latin American countries lack well-established institutions, which creates loopholes for corrupt deals as a result of poor accountability strategies. The media has undertaken the initiative of unearthing some of these deals through investigative journalism. In the current state of affairs, there has been a paradigm shift in accountability by the leaders. Peru has benefited from the fruits of investigative journalism. Courtesy of the efforts by Gustavo Gorriti to unearth corruption deals, the Peru president Alberto Fujimori was ousted. This was a positive step towards the realization of democracy in Peru. Fujimori had served as the president of Peru from 1990 to 2000. Throughout his time, there were many reports of abuse of office and corruption. This made the media to start unearthing some of the corrupt deals. A Peruvian journalist, Gustavo Gorriti conducted a thorough investigation on the corruption allegations that were reported in the government. In particular, he exposed Vladimiro Montesinos’ corruption deals and his scheme to overthrow the government. Vladimiro was a very close ally of the president therefore Gorriti was in trouble. To confirm the allegations, Gorriti had a lot of evidence that unearthed corruption in the Peru. As a strategy to scare him, Fujimori had him arrested. However, since the public was made aware, the situation sparked public revolt. This led to his release but he escaped to Panama. His efforts made a major contribution to the democratic development in Peru, a country that was raged by warfare and massive embezzlement of funds and abuse of public office. After his movement to Panama, the Panama government schemed to deport him but he later moved to United States. While in Panama, he engaged in writing about issues related to his home country of Peru. Through the interventions of bold journalists, the world has become a better place. The freedom of expression has been attained. In addition, public is made aware, thereby giving them a chance to participate in activities that benefit their welfare. The people of Peru related very well with the issues raised by Gorriti about key figures in the government. Even after securing a win in 1999 elections, the heat of revolution was too much for Alberto Fujimori who opted to seek asylum in Japan as from 2000. Today, the public is capable of expressing their democratic rights such as voting from a point of information. Corrupt leaders are shunned while those that are depict exemplary performance are retained in leadership. Apart from Peru, the revolution has hit the entire Latin American region, chief among the contributors is the investigative journalists. Read More