THE CHALLENGES AND MOTIVATORS OF INVESTIGATIVE SPORTS JOURNALISM IN PESHAWAR: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS

The investigative journalism is crucial for revealing corruption and abuse in global sports, but it faces major legal, financial, and technological hurdles. Even though it holds global significance, situations in certain high-pressure regional areas are still not well explored. In this regard, study involved semi-structured interviews with 16 experienced sports journalists in Peshawar. It used manual thematic analysis to identify key challenges, motivators, and perceptions. The field has significant limitations. These include a lack of institutional resources and funding at 45%, fear of legal and professional consequences at 20%, and strict editorial policies due to corporate & legal pressures at 35%. Even though many believe in accountability journalism, low government support at 50% and lack of public awareness at 40% hold back investigative efforts. The financial incentives at 40% and professional recognition at 30% are vital motivators, showing a need for better support. Without systemic changes, such as better legal protections, investment in resources, training, and public engagement, investigative sports journalism in KP will continue to face challenges. This study provides a framework to support journalism as important check on power in commercial and political sports environment.