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The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard

21st Century Muckrakers
Investigative Journalism: Covering War

As Nieman Reports continues its yearlong project exploring the challenges and opportunities of 21st Century Muckrakers, we draw attention to investigative reporting and photojournalism in the coverage of war.

21st Century Muckrakers
Investigative Journalism: Covering War
Introduction
By Melissa Ludtke, Editor
Reporting a Scandal When No One Bothers to Listen (3 comments)
‘It was as though until headlines blared from newsstands in the nation's capital, the trees in this forest weren't really falling.’
By Mark Benjamin
Creating an Investigative Narrative
Excerpts of a presentation by Anne Hull and Dana Priest
Investigative Reporting on Iraq: From Beginning to End (1 comment)
McClatchy's Washington bureau continues its watchdog reporting about Iraq, this time revealing dangers in the new embassy construction.
By Warren P. Strobel
Combining Investigative Reporting With an Editorial Voice
‘… it became clear that the editorial board could advocate for changes by presenting the facts in a fresh, in-depth way and by speaking with scientific-based authority.’
By Heidi Evans and Beverly Weintraub
Personal Tragedies Illuminate the Consequences of War
In investigating why some Iraq War veterans become homicidal, The New York Times highlighted a circumstance that no one else was tracking.
By Matthew Purdy
Private Military Contractors: Determining Accountability
‘The reliance on private contractors and a web of subcontractors can come with a staggering price.’
By Joseph Neff
The Neutrality Maze
When there's one side to the story, what does it mean to stay impartial?
By Joshua Kors
Probing the High Suicide Rate Among Soldiers in Iraq (1 comment)
In pushing for the military to release undisclosed data, reporters found soldiers who battled mental illness and took their own lives during the war.
By Matthew Kauffman and Lisa Chedekel
Following the Brain Injury Story: From Iraq to the Home Front (1 comment)
After hearing from Marines in Iraq about head wounds, a USA Today reporter works to get the military to release information about their prevalence.
By Gregg Zoroya
Revealing War on a Human Scale
‘It became heroic, tragic, visceral, incomprehensible, beautiful and grotesque — in a word: human.’
By Robert Lewis
Terrorism and Prisoners: Stories That Should Be Told
‘… stories about how we might balance security and civil liberties began slipping deeper inside major newspapers.’
Transcript of a speech by Tim Golden
Tribunals and War Crimes Trials: Treatment of the Press
Investigative journalists confront intimidating tactics and legal actions against them by international criminal tribunals.
By Thierry Cruvellier
Photojournalism
Visual Testimony About War
An essay in words and photographs by Peter van Agtmael
Iraqis: Making Visible the Scars of Exile (1 comment)
An essay in words and photographs by Lori Grinker
Documentary Film
Using Documentary Film to Deeply Explore Issues (1 comment)
‘It seemed to me solid news reporting could no longer do its job.’
By Ayelet Bechar
Documenting Lebanon After the 2006 War: 'Deserted Riviera'
The filmmakers illuminated 'the complexities and subtleties of Lebanon's politico-religious tapestry … through engaging characters and fast-paced visual units.'
By Iason Athanasiadis
Meeting Resistance on Iraq (1 comment)
On-the-ground reporting with resistance fighters in Baghdad revealed a different narrative than the one portrayed by many in the mainstream news.
By Molly Bingham and Steve Connors
The Visual Challenge of Documenting Secrecy
In filming ‘Secrecy,’ the challenge wasn’t access, but finding the best ways to make what is usually hidden from view visible, personal and approachable.
By Peter Galison and Robb Moss