Artificial intelligence at the service of investigative journalism

A paradigmatic case of designing a prototype to support journalists’ routine procedures

Abstract

When we talk about investigative journalism, we try to understand a series of steps that aim to search evidence, findings and everything that can be used in social and legal contexts and that attest a certain piece of information is true and not false. The role of the investigative journalist is often placed at the base of the fourth estate, or as an intellectual powerhouse that contrasts with the forces that rule the governance system of most nations. The journalist's experience and performance is integrated in the concept that everything is questionable and subject of analysis. This premise attests to an increased responsibility in the investigation and treatment of these matters which, to a large extent, are discussed in the public regime. We are often faced with the role of the investigative journalist being minimized, even being made inferior, as the governments and companies that financially support this practice do not intend to invest in what could one day take away their position. Given the decreasing level of monetization of this practice, we decided to develop the idea of ​​a tool to make the practice of investigative journalism more democratic, through the automation of the most strenuous processes of the investigative process, opting for tools that help the journalist to think, inquire and visualize the links of the investigation in a pragmatic way based on image design. This desire to make the practice of investigative journalism faster and less dependent on funding from large groups - the aim is to outline a more advanced reality in the practice of investigative journalism - an idea that could also be applied to other types of professionals, such as private investigators and historians.