Investigative Reporting

Investigative reporting
It refers to a kind of journalism where a reporter seeks to unearth information on serious
issues like crime that largely remains unknown. It involves going behind the scenes and
asking tough questions.
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The best example of investigative reporting is KTN’s Jicho Pevu of Mohamed Ali and
John Allan Namu. They recently had an expose on lead poisoning at Owino Uhuru
area in Mombasa.

Undercover reporting
In my view can be explained as a kind of reporting where a journalist may impersonate
another person or even fail to disclose his identity to news sources as he gathers information.
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The exposé on fake diplomas offered by Nairobi Aviation College by NTV and
Daily Nation is the best example of undercover reporting.

Main differences difference between investigative and undercover reporting.

Undercover reporting is a sub-set/ part of investigative reporting, an investigative journalist
can pose as somebody else (go undercover) to get information.

There are journalistic ethical questions concerning under-cover reporting, as some people
view it as deceiving people to get which not the case is with investigate reporting.

Investigative reporting may take several days or even months and years to come up with a
story as it involves serious analysis of documents and probes, which is not the case with
undercover reporting.

- By Daniel Psirmoi