In conclusion:
Sim ilar to their western counterparts, Chinese journalists share the same passion in uncovering social problems and meeting the demand of the public for quality reports as the foundation of informed decisions. Through ups and downs,investigative reporting as the most demanding form of journalism practice maintains its resilient in China. Environmental protection and topical issues related to public services are the appropriate subject choices for Chinese investigative reporters to shine. To put forward for quality works, they may begin thinking about sharpening their skillsets and diversifying their content presentations by embracing researchbased methods and data deliverance through visually-appealing designs.
In an interview w ith Columbia Journalism Review for its 60th anniversary edition, Phillippe M eyer talked about in what ways his approach can bring to the future of investigative reporting. He replied that “journalism is very good at covering events, fairly good at f inding patterns or trends, and not so good at looking at structure. Here is what social science approach can help.” (Sullivan, 2001)
Exposing structural problems of the society or an institution is the ultimate pursuit for investigative reporters in China and abroad alike. The presentation of crucial data in effective and understandable visual forms, obtained through self-driven research guided by social science methods is one area for Chinese investigative reporters to work on.
【注释】
[1]李颖，云南大学新闻学院（南亚东南亚国际传播学院）教师，曾任CGTN编导记者。
[2]This is quoted from the awarding statement from the Pulitzer Prize panel. https://www.pulitzer.org/w inners/brian-m-rosenthal-new-york-times.
[3]This is quoted from “‘They Were Conned’: How Reckless Loans Devastated a Generation of Taxi Drivers”. This is the f irst installment in Brian M. Rosenthal’s Pulitzer Prize-w inning series. It won Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting in 2020.
[4]“Part 1: Is death the great equalizer?” Last words, Boston Globe Spotlight Team, September 26th, 2020.
[5]The Chiang Kai-shek government launched f ive rounds of massive m ilitary attacks against the Soviet-style strongholds established by the Communist Party in Jiangxi province from 1931 to 1934. These attacks, known as “weijiao”, or besiegement and suppression, aimed squarely at terminating the Communist Party and the Red Army. The enormous costs in resources and lives were the decisive reasons forcing the Red Army to seek a strategic transfer to the northwestern hinterland.
[6]This is paraphrased from Fang Changjiang’s essay, Ref lection on Journalistic Work, published in the journal xinwen zhanxian in 1979.
[7]This is paraphrased from the preface of the 4th edition of In the Northwestern Corner of China.
[8]This is translated by the author from, The Bankruptcy of Golden Zhangye, the f irst installment of Chapter 4 from In the Northwestern Corner of China.
[9]This is translated by the author from part two of Ma Bumang’s Political Assignment, the f ifth installment of Chapter Three, from In the Northwestern Corner of China.
[10]In the initial reaction of the White House, Presidential Press Secretary Ron Ziegler responded that the president would have no comment on a “third-rate burglary attempt”.
[11]This is translated from the original text of Deng’s speech delivered during his inspection tour to Guangdong from January 18th to February 21st, 1992.(https://www.daowen.com)
[12]These program priorities are highlighted on the homepage of the show’s official website.https://tv.cctv.com/lm/jdft/, accessed on February 28th, 2023.
[13]The transcript of the show is unavailable on CCTV’s official website, but can be retrieved here: https://www.guayunfan.com/lilun/459341.htm l.
[14]Supervision by public opinion, or “yulun jiandu”, is the preferred term for media supervision in China. M edia supervision didn’t gain w ide circulation in either official or academ ic discussions.
[15]China Youth Daily reported on Zhu’s inspection extensively in this ref lective piece published in September, 2011, http://zqb.cyol.com/htm l/2011-09/22/nw.D110000zgqnb_20110922_2-11.htm, accessed on February 28th, 2023.
[16]The excerpt is translated by the author from Article 39, Chapter 6 of the regulation.
[17]This is paraphrased from “The Little-known Insiders’ Perspective about Focus Interview’s M edia Supervision”, a China Youth Daily article comm emorating the 10th anniversary of Focus Interview, published on M arch 29th, 2004. zqb.cyol.com/content/2004-03/29/content_845601.htm, accessed on February 28th, 2023.
[18]https://news.sina.com.cn/c/2008-09-23/080714486860s.shtm l.
[19]The presidential decree ratifying the law and its full body of articles can be accessed on the off icial website of the central government, http://www.gov.cn/f lfg/2009-02/28/content_1246367.htm, accessed on February 28th, 2023.
[20]The evaluation methods and the creation of the new category were announced by the A ll China Journalists Associated in June, 2022 on its off icial website, http://www.zgjx.cn/2022-06/13/c_1310621273.htm.
[21]In the article, Wang describes that such open-air m ining usually involves the digging of enormous trenches as deep as 400 meters and run as long as one kilometer on what should have been preserved as wetland ecosystem. http://www.jjckb.cn/2020-08/04/c_139262843.htm,accessed on February 28th, 2023.
[22]This is translated by the author from the original text.
[23]In f ive days, 43 people were dead, 342 injured, nearly 1,400 buildings had been burned and thousands of National Guard and army troops had been deployed to help stabilize the situation.
[24]Meyer’s special survey report was published by the Detroit Free Press on August 20, 1967.
[25]The awards are jointly presented by Investigative Reporters and Editors, a non-profit professional organization, and the M issouri School of Journalism, and the Knight Chair at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.Three prizes are given annually. Here is the homepage of the prizes: https://www.ire.org/awards/.
[26]These online data new s columns are available here: https://www.thepaper.cn/list_25635,https://www.163.com/dy/media/T1558001296379.htm l, https://datanew s.caixin.com/.