Organisation and Financing of Journalistic Investigations: Russian and International Practices

The topic of the study was chosen for its relevance. Journalistic investigations lately have been playing a more important role in political and social life of developed countries. This trend can be explained by the specificity of the political context of the XXI century as well as by the development of media technologies. The object of the study is Russian and international media and organizations in a varying degree allocating a budget for journalistic investigations. The subject of the study is Russian and international practices of organization and financing of journalistic investigations. The aim of the study is to identify new techniques of organization and financing of journalistic investigations. The goal of the study is to reveal ways of development of the genre of journalistic investigations; identify major operating methods of investigative journalists; the degree of influence which global access to information, databases and multimedia have on the quality of investigations; specifics of approach to investigations on the part of professional journalists and civil activists; new forms of cooperation between journalists and media entities of different countries; features of financing of journalistic investigations in modern conditions. The author exploring texts of investigations and analyzing his own interviews with experts to prove the following hypothesis: Against the backdrop of growing influence of journalistic and media investigations on socio-political processes forms of their organization as well as sources of financing acquire a special meaning. Thus investigators have to seek such forms of organization and such sources of financing that could guarantee objectivity and non-engagement and protect investigative journalists from pressure by authorities, publishers, sponsors and advertisers. The study will be helpful to journalists mastering skills of investigations in the new environment as to specialists in PR and media technologies.