A workshop presentation on investigative journalism

1. Investigative Capacity
Building Workshop 3
OPEN-SOURCE INTELLIGENCE AND
INVESTIGATIONS: SKILLS, TOOLS AND
TECHNIQUES
C4 Centre Malaysia, 9th April 2022
Resource Person: Murray Hunter

2. Intended Program
• Short introduction: How did I find my way into
investigative journalism?
• Some basic premises
• Researching and constructing articles
• Article examples of different types of investigative
papers (deconstructing the sources)
• Group exercise on determining an approach to an
issue you want to report

3. Writing Investigative pieces
My
personal
journey
Family business background, travelled, then
commenced my own businesses in Australia
and Malaysia
Skills I considered important from
school/university: English comprehension,
reviewing articles and books, writing essays
at university in economics, organizational
psychology, methodology in the study of
history, my time in ALP, and Malaysian civil
service.
Writing academic articles in natural
product chemistry
Writing about the cosmetic
industry
Writing 3 technical books,
1 on essential oils, 2 on
entrepreneurship
About 7 years work
Working as an academic from Bioprocess
engineering to community development
Writing and speaking about
community development
Joining The 4th
Media committee
A host of geo-political articles
Australia, US, Korea (panel of
RT experts on Korea)
Correspondent at
Asian Correspondent
Malaysian political articles
Up to 1995
Up 2012
2014
Took a break in 2016-2019 Dr Azly Rahman told me
what was happening in Malaysia

4. Some Basic Premises
The Scope of Investigative Journalism
• Monetary corruption, gifts, favours, etc.
• Cronyism, kleptocratic behaviour
• Political issues (debate, policy, & action)
• Regulation, administrative law, & bureaucracy
• Nepotism, bias, favouritism, discrimination
• Financial misappropriation, malpractice, & wastage
• Government, agencies, educational institutions,
NGOs
• Social, economic and humanitarian issues
• Poverty
• Geo-political institutions & behaviour

5. Necessary Traits for Investigative Journalism
• Vision
• Innovation
• Objectivity
• Politically neutral
• Patience (lots of patience)
• Willing to do a lot of work
• Humility
Personality: must be prepared for anguish and depression.
Able to go through personal crises, and able to receive
strong personal criticisms, ad hominem attacks, smear, due
diligence, and authoritative attacks. Must be able to be
prepared to start projects again and again from scratch.

6. An investigative journalist is not an activist
An investigative journalist is a
researcher using tools to seek
the facts to determine the
truth

7. The Differences between various types of journalistic writing
• Investigative Pieces
Based in hard corroborated evidence, usually exposing something
• Political (or social) Analysis
A critical piece laying out the issues within a subject, event, of the
dynamics within a chosen domain
• Op Ed
An opinion piece about a subject, event, of the dynamics within a
chosen domain
• A narrative
Telling a story about a subject, event, of the dynamics within a chosen
domain from another person’s point of view

8. Sources of Information
• Experience and first hand knowledge
• Visits
• Public domain information
Statistics, reports, other news reports
• Whistleblowers
What are their motivations? Anger, injustice done to them,
hate, revenge, political leanings, sabotage
Must understand whistleblower motives
• Court judgements, Hansard, Parliamentary papers, reports,
studies, academic papers, Legislation, annual reports.
The key is evidence and documentation
Forensic work, synergising, and putting pieces together

9. Some important observations
You need to stay in areas you are familiar with or have expert assistance in other
areas (i.e., medical issues, Halal, cyber issues, etc.
You need to have some set objectives for each investigative piece you write: for
example
1. Will it provide important or necessary information to the public?
2. Will it expose wrong doings?
3. Who could this article wrongly hurt?
4. Will it make a difference?
5. Are you prepared for any consequences? What would those consequences
potentially be?
What media outlet are you writing this for? What are their particular restrictions?
1. Local media
2. Foreign media
3. You own website, blog, Substack, etc?

10. Some important observations continued
The temptation to create clickbait
Brilliant articles aren’t always the most popular
Articles relying on other articles as source material are usually
mediocre
There is a lot of bad journalism around
Don’t panic when you get a lawyer’s letter
Holding back on articles (Singapore)

11. News Portal and Website Bias
US based International geo-politics plus. More than 500k hits
per month. Academic/political analyst orientated.
Very liberal in views published, almost without any censorship
Formally HK based now Philippine based (US registered) semi-paywall
news/opinion portal. Establishment critical opinion articles based upon current
news. Centre-left orientated, pro-climate change, anti-Trump, anti-LKY, Mahathir.
Executive editor John Berthelesen strong editorial input. More than 200K hits
per month to specific professional Asian audience.
Reports & Opinion pieces on Asian geo-political issues. Editor Zachary Fillingham
liberal on content, although tends to post articles written by experts in specific
areas. Around 300K hits per month, professional reader base.
Pro-Russian, but otherwise a news portal which is open to alternative views. They are
pro-active in seeking writers, rather than accepting cold approachs. Pravda, RT’s sister
organization will take submissions. Millions of hits per month.

12. Once known for its in depth articles on specific political and social
issues within South-East Asia, the portal has become Woke and LBGT
orientated. NM no longer open to a diversity of opinions but follows
an agenda.
Once a centre left new portal which exposed scandals, Since Michelle
Pini took over the executive editor role, the portal has just become
and anti-conservative platform. Slightly declining audience over the
last couple of years when it took more a propaganda rather than
journalism approach.
Centre-right portal that encourages diverse views. Editor Graham
Young focuses on strong argued submissions. Australia and regional
issues of concern to Australia.
Now changed its name to “The 21st Century”. United Front allied media
portal, pro-China and anti-US. Mostly systemic exposes and opinion
pieces. 500K plus hits per month.
An initiative from Krems University, intended to promote political analysis
and opinion pieces from students and rising academics. Has grown to
become a Euro-centric influential site over the last decade.

13. The baseline of local Malaysian news portals. However, Malaysiakini has published at
least 3 articles making ad hominin attacks upon myself, which they refused to either
take down or allow me right of reply. Malaysian journalist and lawyer Joe Fernandez
was banned from Malaysiakini and Dr Azly Rahman was cancelled for an
“#Alllivesmatter” posting on his FB and an opinion article on the Rohingya people.
Up and coming news portal. Practices self-censorship in order to maintain
license. Has pulled articles upon request from minister’s staff, rather than stick
to reporting. Will selectively take up some social issues.
Good for economic or industry sector analysis.
Very conservative
Both news portals strongly practice self-censorship, even though the
appreciate the content of what is submitted to them. Malay Mail will
very often run annon. Op Eds from government officials.

14. Independent Journalism
Both these North American based Substack sites
offer alternative views to the US mainstream
news media, but tend to be conservative.
Based in Chiang Mai,
spasmodically carried
excellently researched
investigative exposes on
Thai criminal world.
Erin Cook’s Substack, carries
some excellent perspectives not
covered by local media in region.
Based in Jakarta.
Veteran Andrew Macgregor Marshall’s exposes on Thai Royalty.
Superbly researched, long and full of information one cannot get
anywhere else on the subject.

16. Subject of investigation
Approach
Can I offer any unique perspectives?