The Tip Off
Welcome to The Tip Off- the podcast where we take you behind the scenes of some of the best investigative journalism from recent years. Each episode we’ll be digging into an investigative scoop- hearing from the journalists behind the work as they tell us about the leads, the dead-ends and of course, the tip offs. There’ll be car chases, slammed doors, terrorist cells, meetings in dimly lit bars and cafes, wrangling with despotic regimes and much more. So if you’re curious about the fun, complicated detective work that goes into doing great investigative journalism- then this is the podcast for you.
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Our Editor's Take
Most investigative stories take months, if not years, to research. Journalists labor over corroborating statements, gathering evidence, getting quotes, and chasing dead-end leads. This is the type of work that The Tip Off podcast wishes to reveal to its listeners. Most true crime, or investigative shows, leave the hours of work out of the finished product. The audience may not realize what it took to connect the pieces and build a convincing narrative. But in this podcast, that labor is the main story.
The host of The Tip Off started the podcast to help people regain their trust in the media. Maeve McClenaghan is a seasoned investigative reporter for The Guardian. Before that role, she was a part of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. The host understands the importance of exposé articles. She knows how they can help uncover injustices and lead to a change in behaviors and policies.
But with the rise of fake news, McClenaghan has seen how people trust the media less and less. Even when it comes to reputable resources. With her podcast, she hopes to unveil how journalists struggle to get stories published. She wishes to show how they verify and double-verify each source. Good reporters play detectives and sometimes even put themselves at risk. The host seeks to demystify the work that reporters do and win back the public's trust in the process.
Each episode of The Tip Off follows the journey of one scoop. McClenaghan talks to the journalists that broke the most unbelievable stories. For instance, one episode is about R. Kelly's sexual abuse allegations. Another one talks about the efforts to locate and capture an Isis jihadist. The host asks her guests to describe their entire process. From leads to article ideas up to the day the story gets printed and its aftermath.
McClenaghan's storytelling expertise makes this UK-based podcast a compelling listen. She makes the research and writing process the main story, with cliffhangers, surprising turns, and insights. New episodes of The Tip Off debut on a periodic basis.
Episodes
