Patologie instytucji samorządowych jako przedmiot publikacji śledczych i interwencyjnych w niezależnych mediach lokalnych
Pathologies of local government institutions as the subject of investigative and interventional journalism in independent local media

Author(s): Wojciech Adamczyk
Subject(s): Media studies, Communication studies, Theory of Communication
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego
Keywords: local government; local press; institution pathologies; investigative journalism; interventional journalism
Summary/Abstract: The article focuses on the issue of unmasking, via investigative and interventional journalism, the disintegration of local government institutions and other manifestations of the lack of social organization at the level of municipality and district authorities. Such actions, undertaken by independent commercial media, constitute rare forms of local journalism. The author aims to prove that local investigative and interventional journalism in Poland remains nonetheless effective in exposing and publicizing cases of pathologies found in local government institutions, resulting in increased transparency of the actions of local authorities and institutions they supervise. Such exposes entail also direct personal, organizational and legal consequences. In his article, the author bases his research on publications entered into the “Local Press” contest (organized since 2008 by the Local Press Association) in the category “investigative and interventional journalism.” Overall, the author has analyzed 227 texts written between 2012–2013, which allowed for a comparative analysis and trend analysis in the discussed timeframe.

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