Investigative Journalism
Code: 103089Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Journalism | OP | 3 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Luiz Peres Garzezi
- Email :
- luiz.peres@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Jesús Martínez Fernández
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
The students must have very good knowledge of social news. Students must have a strong background in both the theoretical and practical aspects of journalistic work. Students must have sufficient capacity to properly locate, deal with, and use personal sources and to locate, analyze, and use documentary sources of all kinds, including those accessible through the Internet. Students must have advanced proficiency with computer software. Office automation (spreadsheets and database managers). They have to know how to use advanced search functions in search engines, as well as the most common tools for capturing information on the Internet and analyzing its contents.
Students must also have a sufficient command of Catalan and Spanish, in which the classes will be taught, and in which most of the teaching materials will be.
Objectives
1) Train for investigative journalism
2) Train the management of journalistic investigative work
3) Acquire ethical and deontological criteria related to quality journalist and journalistic investigations.
Learning outcomes
- CM14 (Design journalistic investigation projects based on data, and ensure their methodological rigour and news impact.) Design journalistic investigation projects based on data, and ensure their methodological rigour and news impact.
- CM15 (Include ethics and social responsibility principles in journalistic investigation, and ensure news equity and the fair representation of vulnerable groups.) Include ethics and social responsibility principles in journalistic investigation, and ensure news equity and the fair representation of vulnerable groups.
- KM16 (Define investigative journalism’s role in transparency and accountability bearing in mind its impact on democracy and public opinion.) Define investigative journalism’s role in transparency and accountability bearing in mind its impact on democracy and public opinion.
- SM15 (Use data collection and analysis techniques to develop rigorous, evidence-based journalistic investigations.) Use data collection and analysis techniques to develop rigorous, evidence-based journalistic investigations.
- SM16 (Assess the truthfulness and reliability of sources in the process of journalistic investigation and ensure the quality of the information.) Assess the truthfulness and reliability of sources in the process of journalistic investigation and ensure the quality of the information.
- SM17 (Develop fact-checking methodologies for news and include digital tools and principles of transparency.) Develop fact-checking methodologies for news and include digital tools and principles of transparency.
Contents
1. Epistemological and historical foundations of investigative journalism
- Basics and conceptual elements.
- Investigative journalism and pseudo-investigative journalism
- Origins and development (US, Europe, Latin America and Spain)
2. The investigative journalism labor
- Methods and techniques
- Management of personal and documentary sources.
- Types of investigation
- Verification processes, ethical and legal issues
3. Challenges to investigative journalism in the digital age
- Data journalism and other resources
- New narratives, multimedia, and content management formats
- Transparency, accountability, and the digital environment
The course content incorporates a gender perspective.
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master classes | 18 | 0.72 | |
| Evaluation. | 3 | 0.12 | |
| Tutorials | 3 | 0.12 | |
| Seminars. | 18 | 0.72 | |
| Practices. | 24 | 0.96 | |
| Reading, analysis and synthesis of texts, preparation and realization of works. | 80 | 3.2 |
This course is deeply practical. While we will delve into theories, we will primarily focus on applying these concepts to real-world cases and discussions.
The group's practices will simulate the tasks involved in developing investigations for different journalistic projects proposed by students. The production of content for UABmèdia will be considered.
Work groups will operate with a high degree of autonomy, under the guidance of the teaching staff. Your active participation in both theoretical and practical sessions, as well as your ability to work independently and coordinate with your peers, will be key to your evaluation. To facilitate the preparation of the work, the teaching staff and the class group will have maximum organizational flexibility, with the primary objective of properly developing the research tasks. The carrying out of external activities will be considered.
In any case, the teaching staff will supervise and control the development of the proposals promoted by the students.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practices | 30% | 1 | 0.04 | CM14, CM15, KM16, SM15, SM16, SM17 |
| Exam | 30% | 1 | 0.04 | CM15, KM16, SM16, SM17 |
| Research report | 40% | 2 | 0.08 | CM14, CM15, KM16, SM15, SM16, SM17 |
Assessment
THE EVALUATION ACTIVITIES ARE:
- Activity A – Exam, 30% of the final grade.
- Activity B - Practical activities, 30% of the final grade.
- Activity C – Assignment (reportage), 40% of the final grade.
To pass the course, a minimum grade of 5.0 must be obtained for each of activities A, B, and C.
RE-EVALUATION:
Students will have the right to be re-evaluated for the subject if they have been evaluated on the set of activities, with a weight equivalent to at least 2/3 of the subject's total grade. To present the re-evaluation of the subject, it must obtain an average mark of 3.5. The activity excluded from the recovery process is coursework (Assignments).
SECOND REGISTRATION:
In the case of second registration, students may take a single synthesis test consisting of a short content test with theoretical and practical sections, using the bibliography indicated by the teaching staff, and a research report proposal on a scientific topic.
The subject's qualification will correspond to the grade obtained on the synthesis test.
PLAGIARISM:
In the event that the student commits any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in an evaluation act, the evaluation act will be graded as 0, regardless of any disciplinary process that may be imposed. In the event that several irregularities occur in the evaluation acts of the same subject, the final grade for this subject will be 0.
UNIQUE ASSESSMENT:
The course's unique assessment system is based on the following percentages:
A) 50% Theoretical test on the syllabus content. (Must get up to 5,0 in this issue as a mandatory condition to pass the course)
B) 30% Coursework.
C) 20% Oral presentation to comment and argue about one case.
The grade for the single assessment will be the sum of the grades for the theoretical, written, and oral presentation tests. The dates for these tests will be announced at the beginning of the course through the course's calendar.
RECOVERY OF THE UNIQUE ASSESSMENT: It will consist of a synthesis test that will incorporate questions about content, solving cases, and a part of the oral presentation. Students who have taken the single assessment tests and obtained at least a 3.5 overall grade in the subject may apply. The date will be announced at the beginning of the course.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE:
In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted as an integral part of assignment development, provided that the final outcome demonstrates a significant contribution by the student through analysis and personal reflection. Students must clearly identify any AI-generated content, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these technologies have influenced both the process and the final result of the assignment. Failure to disclose the use of AI in this assessed activity will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may result in a partial or total penalty to the assignment grade, or more serious sanctions in severe cases.
Bibliography
Allan, S. (2023). The Routledge Companion to News and Journalism (Second edition). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003174790
Bebawi, S., & Onilov, O. (Eds.). (2023). Different Global Journalisms: Cultures and Contexts / edited by Saba Bebawi and Oxana Onilov. (1st ed. 2023.). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-18992-0
Burstiner, M. (2018). Investigative Reporting: From Premise to Publication (Second edition.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203702307
Carson, A. (2020). Investigative journalism, democracy and the digital age. Routledge.
Chicote Lerena J. (2006). Los enemigos del periodismo de investigación. Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodístico, 12, 71-90. https://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/ESMP/article/view/ESMP0606110071A
Chicote, J. (2006). El Periodismo de investigación en España: causas y efectos de su marginación. Fragua.
Colbran, M. (2022). Crime and Investigative Reporting in the UK (1st ed.). Policy Press. https://doi.org/10.46692/9781447358930
de Burgh, H., & Lashmar, P. (2021). Investigative Journalism (Third edition). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429060281
Di Domenica, S. (2013). Periodistas que preguntan por qué: relatos y entrevistas sobre periodismo de investigación / Sebastián Di Domenica ; prólogo: Adriana Amado. Biblos.
García Arán, M., & Botella Corral, J. (2008). Malas noticias: medios de comunicación, política criminal y garantías penales en España. Tirant lo Blanch.
González -Cortés, M. E., López-García, J., & Gómez-Calderón, B. (2023). Rutinas profesionales del periodismo de investigación en España. I/C (Sevilla), 20(20), 233–251. https://doi.org/10.12795/IC.2023.I20.10
Evangelista, P. (2025). Que alguien los mate. Crónica de la violencia en mi país. Reservoir Books.
Hayden, Sally. (2024). Cuando lo intenté por cuarta vez, nos ahogamos. Capitán Swing.
Knobel, B. (2018). The Watchdog Still Barks: How Accountability Reporting Evolved forthe Digital Age (1st ed.). Fordham University Press.
https://doi.org/10.1515/9780823279364
Martí Gómez, J.(2016). El Oficio más hermoso del mundo: (una desordenada crónica personal) / José Martí Gómez ; epílogo: una conversación con Javier del Pino, Jordi Évole y Josep Ramoneda. Clave intelectual.
Martínez-Sanz, R., & Durántez-Stolle, P. (2019). El ejercicio del periodismo de investigación en España. La percepción de su estado actual. Revista latina de comunicación social, 74(74), 822–839. https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2019-1359
McCracken, E. (2017). The Serial Podcast and Storytelling in the Digital Age (1st ed., Vol. 1). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315210704
Park, Michelle; Konow-Lund, Maria ; Bebawi, Saba. (2024). Hybrid Investigative Journalism. Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41939-3
Peña Acuña, B., & Batalla Navarro, P. (2017). Periodismo de investigación / Beatriz Peña Acuña y Pablo Batalla Navarro (coord.). ACCI.
Peres-Neto, L., Giraldo Luque, S., & Soriano Gatica, J. P. (2026). Accountability Sabotage and Journalism: Digital Authoritarian Practices and Chilling Effect in Latin America. Digital Journalism, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2026.2638928
Romero Domínguez, L. R., & García-Orta, M. J. (2019). Cómo destapar otro Panama Papers : nuevos retos para el periodismo de investigación. Editorial UOC.
Schiffrin, A. (2014). Global muckraking: 100 years of investigative journalism from around the world / edited by Anya Schiffrin. The New Press.
Schiffrin, A. (2021). Media Capture: How Money, Digital Platforms, and Governments Control the News. Columbia University Press. https://doi.org/10.7312/schi18882
Segado-Boj, F., Chaparro-Domínguez, M.-Á., & Ramírez-Daza, Ó.-I.. (2022). Periodismo de investigación: análisis bibliométrico, conceptual e intelectual (2000-2020). Transinformação, 34, e210080. https://doi.org/10.1590/2318-0889202234e210080
Software
There is no specific software for this subject.
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (PLAB) Practical laboratories | 11 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (PLAB) Practical laboratories | 12 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |