”Så här har vi gått tillväga”

Title: “Så här har vi gått tillväga” – En kvalitativ studie av hur svenska undersökande journalister förhåller sig till transparens

Authors: Michael Larsson and Rasmus Lygner

Subject: Undergraduate research paper in journalism studies,

Department of journalism, media and communication (JMG), University of Gothenburg

Term: Fall 2016

Supervisor: Nicklas Håkansson, JMG, University of Gothenburg

Pages/words: 54 pages/19 485 words (including abstract and appendix)

Purpose: The main purpose of the study is to examine how Swedish investigative journalists relate to the notion of transparency and apply it in their everyday work routine.

Method: Qualitative in-depth interviews with Swedish investigative journalists.

Procedure: Seven interviews with investigative journalists were transcribed and analyzed using Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical perspective, Michael Karlsson’s rituals of transparency and professional theory.

Results: The results of the study show that although transparency have not been accepted as a new occupational norm by all investigative journalists, it affects their relationship with the audience and way of working.

Transparency was associated with a wide variety of practices employed by investigative journalists – such as making source material public, getting the public involved in the news process or using transparency as a form of storytelling – and regarded as a way to enhance credibility with audiences. Furthermore, in some cases transparency was described as increasing self-regulation among investigative journalists and being in conflict with the confidentiality of sources.
Key words: Journalism, transparency, investigative journalism, trustworthiness, Erving Goffman, Michael Karlsson, impression management, professional theory, self-regulation, digitalization, professionalism, in-depth interviews, credibility, journalistic rituals