Investigative Reporting Trends in Bangladesh: A Content Analysis of Selected Newspaper

The purpose of this research was to examine the actual state of investigative journalism in Bangladeshi print media. The content analysis method was used to scrutinize the investigative reports, employing both quantitative and thematic approaches. Four daily newspapers - The Daily Star, Prothom Alo, Bangladesh Protidin, and Juger Alo - were selected for analysis, with 61 copies from each, totaling 244 newspaper copies. The three national dailies were selected as the most circulated Bangla and English newspapers of Bangladesh according to the department of film and publications (DFP) and the local daily was chosen as per researcher convenience. The theoretical framework for this study utilized the social responsibility theories of the press and agenda-setting theory. The results indicated that a limited number of investigative reports were published in Bangladeshi daily newspapers, with the theme of economy-related issues receiving the most attention in investigative reporting. Concerns were raised regarding the high percentage of anonymous sources (41%) and second-hand investigation (69%), casting doubt on the quality of investigative reporting. Future research could explore a broader perspective of investigative reports through textual analysis conducted over an extended period.