“It’s a bit like being a spy.” Liam Connell on working in investigative journalism
It was while researching scientology and cults for a final year project at the University of Portsmouth that Liam decided he wanted a career in investigative journalism. Now, 18 months after graduating with first-class honours, he tells us about receiving his first screen credit, as a researcher for Channel 4’s Dispatches into British Muslims.
Liam also gives an insight into his role as a researcher for journalism investigations and why he loves his job.
I first realised I wanted to go into investigative journalism during my final year project at Portsmouth when I wrote a series of features into Scientology and cults. I interviewed a number of former Scientologists about life on the inside of the notoriously secret organisation, as well as its most famous detractor — BBC journalist John Sweeney, and visited Scientology’s lavish UK headquarters.
After finishing my BA (Hons) Journalism at Portsmouth in 2016, I applied for the Channel 4 MA in Investigative Journalism as a way to specialise in Investigations and gain some connections within the world of TV.
The teaching for my Masters finished in May 2017 and while I was completing my final project I wanted to do some more work experience. While at Portsmouth I had done about 10 weeks of work experience at various magazines and had already done a further four weeks in TV.
I started work experience at Hardcash Productions in July 2017 and started research on a Dispatches. My two-week placement turned into my first job as a researcher and on March 26, 2018, a whole eight months later, “Dispatches: Who Speaks for British Muslims?” aired.
Once it aired, I was back to work the next day, working on a development for my next Dispatches — which I can’t talk about. When working on an investigation you can’t tell anyone about it, loose lips sink ships in the world of investigative journalism.
Being a researcher basically means I have to do a lot of the groundwork to the investigation. I find contacts, conduct pre-interviews, check sources, do a lot of social media sweeps, write FOIs, validate facts and figures, help organise undercover, source archive, help with scripting, assist on shoots and just generally help make the programme.
Social media is huge for investigations and a major part of my job. Sometimes the best way to find information about someone is to check what they’ve been putting online. If you want to get into investigative journalism, make sure that your social media skills are up to scratch and that you know all the best tricks to find people. For Who Speaks for British Muslims I spent hours looking through people’s social media, reading their posts and saving everything (evidence and proof are key).
Another key part of my job is doing cutting searches. This has to be done from the proposal/development stage, but will have to be done right up until broadcast date. This means keeping up-to-date on what you’re investigating, including social media, TV, the news and websites. You have to basically make what you’re investigating your whole life for a few months.
Although I didn’t go undercover myself for Who Speaks for British Muslims, I did “log” all the footage. This involves transcribing everything the undercover camera sees and hears. For Who Speaks for British Muslims I logged over 250 x 10–20 minute clips. While logging, I have to make a note of any key quote or sequences of interest, this will then help plan the next move for whoever we have undercover and will also help with research and scripting. It takes ages and at times can be boring, but is so important for scripting, and for the lawyers.
Knowing how to shoot and edit is important within TV work, however as a researcher that wasn’t really one of my jobs. My main role on shoots was to fact check, help with set up and often transcribe for reversals — this is where you change the camera from the interviewee to the interviewer. For this on the spot transcribing shorthand was imperative.
I got my 100wpm in my third year at Portsmouth and shorthand has also been a huge help on my current development. When meeting people who aren’t ready to be interviewed, or aren’t fully confident with going on the record just yet — taking notes rather than sticking a recorder in their face makes them feel more comfortable while still giving you a reference for later.
It’s so exciting to piece everything together after months and months of digging…
Having shorthand also impressed many higher-ups within the industry for me. A number of “old school” journalists have a lot of appreciation for it, and while on Who Speaks for British Muslims I received a lot of compliments for using my shorthand.
Investigative journalism is hard work. Really hard work. But all in all it is such an interesting job, and at times I do feel like a spy. It’s so exciting to piece everything together after months and months of digging and it all becomes worth it when you can sit back, relax and watch your work play out, live on TV.
You can watch Dispatches — Who Speaks for British Muslims by clicking HERE
