<p>Based on what I know about it, investigative journalism fascinates me, and I would love to build my career around it. But:</p>
<ol>
<li>Can anyone provide more in-depth information about it (how is it different from reporting)? How would someone pursue this path?</li>
<li>What college major would best suit this? (Journalism or political science, since politics is a common topic of investigation? Or something else?)</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks in advance :)</p>
<p>Investigative reporting is not “different” from reporting, it’s just another facet of the craft. Generally, it refers to deep, long-form reporting that involves significant research and reveals previously-unknown facts.</p>
<p>For example, stories based on the WikiLeaks revelations are investigatory in nature. So are stories based on intensive searches through government document archives, whistleblower interviews, data-mining and other hidden sources.</p>
<p>The path for investigative reporting is essentially the same as for anything else in journalism. You’re probably not going to get hired fresh out of college to be an investigative reporter somewhere - but that doesn’t mean you can’t write investigative stories. Some of the best investigations come from “ordinary” beat writers who sniff out what’s happening on their turf.</p>
<p>I’m also very interested in this field… but as a Sophomore I feel I still have some time to decide between picking INR or Journalism as my primary major. I want to work for the Intelligence Community some day, so I want to start off as a reporter somewhere. Which major should I pick and what path should I take?</p>
<p>This thread is nearly three years old. You might want to start a new one.</p>
<p>However, post #2 is correct.</p>
<p>If you’re interested in getting involved, then I suggest checking out watchdog.org! It lies in investigative reporting and spotlighting fraud at the state/national level!</p>