Are investigative centres independent?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17721/CIMC.2026.39.21-33Keywords:
investigative journalism, Malawi, Africa, Platform for Investigative Journalism, Centre for Investigative JournalismAbstract
Investigative journalism has brought both advantages and challenges for journalism in Malawi. As a developing country, Malawi has benefited immensely from this type of journalism. Research, however, has shown that centres for journalism have revealed that corruption exists within the media itself. The study has also demonstrated that the centres lack financial independence, although they maintain editorial independence. As a result, these centres can only carry out work that does not require significant funding. The study focused on two investigative journalism centres in Malawi: the Centre for Investigative Journalism and the Platform for Investigative Journalism. Purposive sampling was used to choose the respondent centres. The study used a qualitative approach that included semi-structured interviews. The study was guided by the research question: To what extent are investigative journalism centres independent? The findings revealed that journalists at these investigative centres applied Media Richness Theory and Framing Theory in their work. The study also found that some institutions receive support, while others do not hamper the process of investigative journalism. The study also revealed that governments and security agents have minimal influence over how information is gathered. It is hoped that this study will be used by media institutions around the world to develop their journalistic practices.
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