INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM AS CREATIVE INDUSTRY

Science states that there are four major elements that induce creativity: creative individual, i.e. his/her intellectual and personal characteristics, creative process of thinking, creative situation or social environment and creative product which does not end in its individual existence, but is deeply involved in interaction with the whole as well as with the community. Investigative journalism demands a creative spirit, free and authentic, while everyday journalism is most commonly based on recognizable routines, and so-called good reporting practice. Creativity is an activity that gives new, original products, whether in the material or spiritual sphere, whilst these products cannot be assigned to the imitation of previously known products, for their significant difference. Investigative journalism is, just as is each creative process, based on the set of serious methodological steps, methodological proofs for claims of public interest, gathering very different and complexly related facts, and finally on publishing truth, which is hidden beyond facts and their correlations. Practically, in the process of creation of investigative journalism story, i.e. the final product, we can recognize all four elements of creative process. In investigative journalists we also recognize all personal characteristics which are scientifically proclaimed to be attributes of a creative person.