Watchdog Journalism
Watchdog Journalism: Investigative Reporting in Southeast Asia
Watchdog Journalism, is a training video produced by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) that talks about how the Investigative Journalism helped the citizens of Southeast Asian countries to be aware on the wrongdoings of the public officials. It presented cases in Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia wherein the media served as a tool for unraveling anomalous act in the government. Through this film, I was able to learn the different techniques on investigating.
I learned that you should not limit your research on what is presented to you, journalists should dig deeper. In the Philippines, when former President Joseph Estrada was found guilty of bribery, graft and corrupt practices and plunder, it was the PCIJ with the help of media and some of their interns who raised the public’s awareness, on the issue that resulted to rallies. There are different documents where you can track down an official’s assets and liabilities. But according to Vinia Datinguinoo, Research Head of PCIJ, on Estrada’s case, he was not declaring everything he owned. They looked at Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the corporations where Estrada is a shareholder of. If they just settled on the documents with doubtful information, they would have never discovered all of Estrada’s mansions and properties. As what Heru Hendratmoko, Director/Producer of 68H said “see what happened and not just rely on what the government says.”
Second is, according to Vinia Datinguinoo “In dealing with documents and people make sure that you get collaboration.” Unraveling an official’s wrongdoing is really a difficult task to do because these are very well thought out plan and with all the conspiracy that officials have, it will be tricky to obtain the information that you are looking for. Therefore, a person who wants to investigate of things like these should be able to have a solid teamwork among his members.
Watchdog Journalism, is a training video produced by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) that talks about how the Investigative Journalism helped the citizens of Southeast Asian countries to be aware on the wrongdoings of the public officials. It presented cases in Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia wherein the media served as a tool for unraveling anomalous act in the government. Through this film, I was able to learn the different techniques on investigating.
I learned that you should not limit your research on what is presented to you, journalists should dig deeper. In the Philippines, when former President Joseph Estrada was found guilty of bribery, graft and corrupt practices and plunder, it was the PCIJ with the help of media and some of their interns who raised the public’s awareness, on the issue that resulted to rallies. There are different documents where you can track down an official’s assets and liabilities. But according to Vinia Datinguinoo, Research Head of PCIJ, on Estrada’s case, he was not declaring everything he owned. They looked at Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the corporations where Estrada is a shareholder of. If they just settled on the documents with doubtful information, they would have never discovered all of Estrada’s mansions and properties. As what Heru Hendratmoko, Director/Producer of 68H said “see what happened and not just rely on what the government says.”
Second is, according to Vinia Datinguinoo “In dealing with documents and people make sure that you get collaboration.” Unraveling an official’s wrongdoing is really a difficult task to do because these are very well thought out plan and with all the conspiracy that officials have, it will be tricky to obtain the information that you are looking for. Therefore, a person who wants to investigate of things like these should be able to have a solid teamwork among his members.