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Investigative journalist M. Rajshekhar urged aspiring business and financial reporters to sharpen their instincts for contradictions and build sources, drawing on lessons from over two decades in the profession.
Speaking to students of the Business and Financial Multimedia Journalism Programme at the Asian College of Journalism, Rajshekhar walked through the mechanics of investigative reporting during a 2.5-hour session, using his 33-month project, Ear to the Ground, as a case study. He said strong investigations often begin by spotting inconsistencies in official narratives and identifying the one person who can explain what is really happening.
Rajshekhar cautioned students against overlooking leads that may appear marginal at first. Missing a consequential story, he said, is the biggest professional risk in journalism, citing historical examples such as reporter William L. Shirer failing to grasp the scale of the Holocaust while reporting from Nazi Germany.
Beyond reporting techniques, Rajshekhar emphasized operational security, offering guidance on privacy, data encryption and the use of encrypted communication platforms. The session concluded with informal book discussions and reviews, prompting students to borrow titles from the college library as the class wrapped up.
The lecture reflected a growing emphasis in journalism education on long-form investigations, digital safety and source protection, as newsrooms navigate heightened political, technological and commercial pressures on reporting.