Behind the byline is a new BGAJ series that looks beyond the finished article, image or broadcast to the craft behind it. It gives members the chance to reflect on a piece of work they’re especially proud of — whether it was challenging to report, tricky to research or creatively demanding — and to share how it came about, how it was made, and what made it memorable. In this second instalment, we hear from a member who takes us behind another significant piece of work and the decisions, challenges and professional relationships that influenced its outcome.
Closing the case: An investigative approach to journalism
I’ve often said if my career path hadn’t led me into journalism, I would be a detective, or a private investigator. I’ve always loved delving deep into the mechanics of an issue and building a story around it.
It’s little surprise, then, that my TV watchlist includes many detective dramas, stretching right back to Kojak and Magnum PI, to Bosch, Blue Bloods, and Chicago PD.
Investigative reporting has always been one of my more passionate areas within journalism and every now and again a case comes my way that really tests my abilities.
For me, the frustration often comes when a story feels unfinished; when the key questions aren’t answered and readers are left to imagine what happened next. I’ve never liked loose ends.
This was particularly apparent when I worked a few years for several national titles. I like to read other journalists work but really get peeved when the story is incomplete. I often got into trouble with news editors asking them when ‘that’ story was going to be finished or whatever happened to the story subject. And so I try to write balanced stories that don’t leave readers – or fellow journalists or editors – hanging.
Investigation work can take a lot of time, as there are usually many parties involved who often don’t want to engage when you ask them questions.
One example that stands out involved a County Antrim dairy farmer whose buildings were badly damaged in a storm. His insurer, NFU Mutual, initially paid £18,000 against a claim of £55,000. After I began investigating the case and seeking responses, the company reviewed its position and ultimately paid the full amount.
For my part, developing such a story took a lot of patience, which I don’t normally possess, and perseverance.
What made the story challenging was not only verifying the farmer’s story but navigating the formal communications process. Engaging with a press office can slow things down, but it’s a necessary part of ensuring accuracy. In this instance, securing on-the-record comment was essential to make sure the story stood up.
When the story that a farmer had taken on and defeated a giant corporate insurer was published it attracted a huge amount of attention.
Many publications, from local media to agricultural and national publications, like the Financial Times Adviser, scooped up the story and used it, which was great news to me as a freelancer. There were lots of comments on their respective social media accounts about the merits of the story and the tactics of my investigative journalism.
I feel a huge sense of satisfaction when investigative stories like this are published, especially when you feel like you have given all sides a fair hearing.
However, no matter how confident you are that you included everything in the story, there are always some people that just don’t agree. In my book that means that the story hit the nail on the head!
If you’d like to share a piece of work for a future Behind the byline feature, we’d love to hear from you. Full details on how to submit, along with guidance on what to include, can be found on the Behind the byline post.
