Investigative reporting remains journalism’s defining work
Despite shrinking newsroom staffs and growing pressure on resources, investigative reporters across the United States remain deeply committed to accountability journalism. That is one of the clearest takeaways from the latest State of Accountability Journalism report from the Collier Prize at the University of Florida.
Rick Hirsch, director of the Collier Prize for State Government Accountability, said the survey results show that dedication to investigative work remains strong even as the profession faces mounting obstacles. As he explained during a recent conversation on E&P Reports, “It’s really encouraging the commitment that journalists — reporters and editors — have toward doing this work. And so there is as great or a greater commitment than ever to investigative reporting.”
That commitment is not accidental. Hirsch said the nature of the profession tends to attract people who deeply believe in the purpose of watchdog journalism. “This is a hard business. If you’re going to stick in it, you’ve got to be committed and believe in the impact that it can have,” he said, adding that “investigative reporting is what delivers that impact.”
Beyond its civic value, Hirsch also believes investigative reporting serves as a strategic differentiator for news organizations competing in a crowded media environment. “There are lots of ways to get the plain vanilla, what happened yesterday stuff in the news cycle,” he said. “But what’s really unique and draws unique audiences to news organizations is investigative work, impactful work, work you can’t get anywhere else.”
He added that the persistence of investigative journalism is driven not only by editorial mission but also by its connection to audiences. “Despite the challenges that are faced by reporters and editors, they know that the kind of work that most connects with audiences is investigative reporting,” Hirsch said.
Barriers to public records are growing
While commitment to investigative reporting remains strong, access to the information needed to conduct those investigations is becoming more difficult. According to Hirsch, the report confirms what many journalists already experience daily: government transparency is increasingly hard to obtain.
“On the issue of records: delay, delay, delay,” Hirsch said. “I think that people in government have come to realize that if you delay impact — even if the law says something’s public — many journalists and many organizations have a short attention span.”
The longer a government agency delays releasing information, the more likely the story is to lose momentum or resources. Hirsch said this strategy is increasingly common. “So the longer it takes for them to get something, the less likely they are to end up getting it and reporting on it,” he explained.
Beyond delays, financial barriers are also becoming more common. Hirsch noted that public agencies often impose fees or administrative hurdles that effectively discourage journalists from pursuing records requests. “It’s not just the delay, but it’s also the cost,” he said. “There are many techniques that, unfortunately, some local governments employ to increase the cost of getting records.”
These tactics can include charging for large volumes of documents or imposing significant fees for redactions and processing. As Hirsch explained, “what is charged or what is asked for in terms of turning over records can sometimes be prohibitive.”
The impact is particularly severe for smaller newsrooms. “The capacity for news organizations to sue to get the records they’re entitled to is limited by cost,” Hirsch said. “And I think a lot of governments are aware of that.”
Shrinking newsrooms weaken investigative pipelines
Another major finding of the Collier Prize report centers on the impact of newsroom downsizing. With fewer reporters on staff, the investigative process itself is becoming harder to sustain.
Hirsch explained that the erosion of local reporting beats directly impacts investigative journalism, as many major investigations begin with routine reporting. “Having fewer reporters in the newsroom — your beat reporters are the ones who get the clues that lead to investigative stories,” he said.
Those reporters, covering city halls, county commissions and government agencies, often detect the early signs of misconduct or mismanagement. Without them, investigative leads become harder to uncover.
“The best investigative stories don’t come from some editor saying, ‘Oh gee, we should really look into this thing,’” Hirsch said. “It comes from somebody on a beat who gets a tip, who’s covering the local county commission or city commission, and there’s something that doesn’t seem right here.”
As newsroom staffing declines, that early detection system weakens. Hirsch described this as a breakdown in the natural ecosystem that produces investigative reporting. “At that sourcing of investigations, newsrooms are much weaker than they used to be,” he said.
Even when journalists identify important stories, the financial burden of pursuing them can be overwhelming. Hirsch pointed to the Miami Herald’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein as an example of the financial commitment often required for accountability reporting.
“The Miami Herald spent over a hundred thousand dollars on legal fees for all sorts of lawsuits to get records related to that case,” he said. “And very few newsrooms have the wherewithal and commitment to do something like that.”
AI emerges as a new investigative tool
While the industry faces shrinking resources and growing barriers, new technology may offer some assistance. The report found that many journalists are beginning to experiment with artificial intelligence tools to assist with research and data analysis.
Hirsch said AI can be especially helpful in accelerating early-stage research. “AI can be really useful in identifying potential sources for a story — experts in different fields that could take hours and hours of Google searching,” he said.
AI tools can also help reporters manage massive document collections and datasets, allowing them to uncover patterns more quickly. Hirsch cited investigative reporting into the Uvalde school shooting as an example.
“A terabyte of data was brought to them, and organizing that data in a way where reporters could really get to what was in there and what was valuable was something they were able to use AI to much more quickly get to the meat of things,” he said.
Still, Hirsch cautioned that AI remains a tool, not a replacement for human journalism. “It’s an incredibly valuable research tool,” he said. “Is it a valuable tool for writing stories? No. I think we still need to have reporters who can write the nuance.”
He also warned that journalists must remain cautious about the technology’s limitations. “Its propensity to hallucinate — to make stuff up — is high,” Hirsch said. “So anything you’re using AI for needs to be vetted.”
Collaboration becomes essential for smaller newsrooms
For smaller news organizations struggling with limited resources, Hirsch believes collaboration is becoming one of the most effective strategies for sustaining investigative journalism.
“I would say partnering is incredibly important, and we’re seeing it across the country,” he said.
Collaborative reporting models allow smaller outlets to access investigative resources they might not otherwise afford. Organizations such as ProPublica and the Fund for Investigative Reporting are helping facilitate these partnerships.
“ProPublica does this on a national basis with their local reporting initiative,” Hirsch said. “They accept pitches from small newsrooms that think they have a significant investigative possibility and then commit resources to work with them.”
Similarly, the Fund for Investigative Reporting provides financial support for investigative projects proposed by local journalists. “They provide funding to help stand up those ideas,” Hirsch said.
These partnerships are already producing impactful journalism across the country. Hirsch pointed to nonprofit and regional investigative outlets as examples of the model’s success.
“The investigative reporting that’s coming out of the state of Mississippi now from Mississippi Today and Deep South Today is really incredible,” he said. He also cited collaborative efforts involving organizations such as the Texas Tribune, ProPublica and CALMatters.
A new generation of investigative journalists
Despite the challenges facing the industry, Hirsch remains optimistic about the future of investigative reporting. Much of that optimism comes from the young journalists entering the field.
“The commitment of young journalists that I meet is so strong and so impressive,” he said.
Hirsch recently attended Sunshine Fest in Washington, D.C., where student journalists demonstrated the power of accountability reporting. One high school reporter used public records to reveal safety risks involving her school’s athletic facilities. “She was able to show that the school system knew that the student athletes were at risk, but wasn’t putting the money forward to replace the field,” Hirsch said.
After the story was published, the district allocated funds to replace the field. Hirsch said stories like that demonstrate the enduring impact of investigative journalism. “Stories like that are incredibly inspiring, and I think show the future of the business,” he said.
He also sees promise in the growth of nonprofit and mission-driven news organizations focused on accountability reporting. “There are numerous news organizations that have stood up over the last five to ten years that are focused on covering state government accountability reporting in all 50 states,” Hirsch said.
For Hirsch, the persistence of investigative journalism reflects something deeper than industry economics. It reflects the enduring belief among journalists that holding power accountable remains essential to democracy.
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