🧪 We're in betaLeave your feedback and suggestions →

Profession

Investigative Journalist

Investigations that are changing Brazil.

As an investigative journalist, you dig deep to uncover stories that powerful people or organizations would rather keep hidden. You spend weeks or months on a single story, gathering documents, analyzing data, interviewing sources, and cross-checking facts to expose corruption, wrongdoing, or injustice. Unlike daily news reporting, this work is slow and careful, built on verification and evidence. Your days involve research, filing public records requests, meeting sources who may be nervous, and writing detailed, well-supported stories. You work at newspapers, magazines, nonprofits, and broadcast outlets, often with editors and data specialists.

Average salary

$4,500 – $14,000

Education

4 years

Employability

72%

🎥 See what it's really like

What Is Investigative Journalism?

The Global Investigative Journalism Network explains what sets this work apart and how it is done.

How to Become an Investigative Reporter

NBCU Academy lays out the skills and steps for getting into investigative reporting.

Lessons in Investigative Journalism: Carol Marin

A veteran journalist shares what decades of investigative reporting taught her.

Seu negócio aqui

Sponsored

Alcance estudantes e jovens profissionais explorando carreiras. Entre em contato e saiba como anunciar.

Seja um patrocinador →

❓ Frequently asked questions

How much does a Investigative Journalist professional earn?▾

Salary ranges from $4,500 – $14,000 per month, depending on specialization, region, and experience. Professionals in major cities tend to earn above the national average.

Education: 4 years

What education is required for Investigative Journalist?▾

4 years. Beyond the degree, many professionals pursue specializations or postgraduate studies to stand out.

Areas of practice

InvestigationDataFact-checking
What are the main practice areas in Investigative Journalist?▾

The main areas are: Investigation, Data, Fact-checking. The employability rate in this field is 72%.

🤝 Talk to a Investigative Journalist

View all →

🤝

Work as a Investigative Journalist?

Share your experience and help people who are thinking about this career. Become a mentor on the platform!

Become a mentor →

Seu negócio aqui

Sponsored

Alcance estudantes e jovens profissionais explorando carreiras. Entre em contato e saiba como anunciar.

Seja um patrocinador →

🎬 See it in movies and shows

Pôster de Spotlight

Spotlight (2015)

Shows a newspaper team spending months on records, source interviews and legal hurdles to expose a cover-up, and the patience real investigative work demands.

Pôster de All the President's Men

All the President's Men (1976)

Shows two reporters verifying anonymous tips, chasing paper trails and holding a story until it is airtight before publishing.

Pôster de She Said

She Said (2022)

Shows reporters earning the trust of reluctant sources and balancing legal risk against the public interest on a major investigation.

🧭

Is Investigative Journalist right for you?

Talk to Wendy, our AI career counselor — it's free.

Ask Wendy →

Ideal profile

communicationresearchanalytical

Careers similar to Investigative Journalist

See if it fits you