Close The Drapes

(C) 2015 Luke T. Bush

PLATTSBURGH CITY, NY - 6/17/15


How journalism has changed.

News teams from all over have descended on this backwoods area after two prisoners escaped from Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, NY.  CNN, CBS, the whole alphabet soup.  We're wide open to newshound eyes.  Over 800 police officers scour the hinterlands to capture the convicted murderers but so far no luck.  A plethora of TV satellite trucks transmit the same details.

In the old days a reporter would hang around barrooms, ferreting out information and leads. If he struck gold he would rush back to his desk to meet his deadline.  Fueled by a few beers, cigarette hanging from his mouth, he banged away on a manual typewriter, sharing his great scoop through newsprint.

Along the way this type of reporting was termed "investigative reporting."

So how do modern practitioners of investigative reporting get their exclusive stories in this age of computer and satellite communication?  Hanging around in barrooms or has another location eclipsed that old standby? 

More importantly, how has the local daily newspaper handle the competition?  It's utilizing Twitter to delve into the Big Story, uncovering the inside info. 

Man, what a scoop!