The Columbian Journalism Review asks the question: If newsrooms are in a state of financial woes, will investigative journalism, which is expensive and time-consuming, survive?

While bigger papers are holding onto it, regional and local papers are finding it difficult to do so.

Investigative reporter Loretta Tofani conducted a freelance investigation of hazardous Chinese labor practices, which was rejected by three papers before The Salt Lake Tribune picked it up. Because The Tribune could not afford its own investigative work, Tofani had to finance her whole investigation on her own. "It was very difficult doing [the Tribune story] as a freelancer. I'm not sure if I would do that again," said Tofani.

Though finding papers to publish investigative reports is not easy, investigative journalism is not giving up yet. The Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting attracted 120 entries this year, a number that is consistent with past years.

Also, Paul E. Steiger, former Wall Street Journal managing editor, heads ProPublica, a nonprofit, non partisan investigative journalism project that hopes to be the "best financed shop for investigative journalism."

Investigative journalism is a valuable form of journalism because it "is one of the things [investigative reporters are] able to make a difference in that not everyone else can," according to Washington Post reporter Dana Priest.

Source: MediaChannel.org