Albert Samaha Breaks Down Investigative Journalism

Aside from being an award-winning Buzzfeed investigative journalist, Albert Samaha is one of the most captivating and inspiring speakers I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. 

His refined story-telling abilities and experience in the field of journalism are clear from his presentation, and the way he describes his escapades (e.g., escaping Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as he was being chased by the country’s police force for his reporting).

As a journalist myself, I found his discussion to be incredibly interesting and educational, but I believe that it would be worthwhile for people outside of the focus of journalism to listen to his advice as well. When we walked into the room, Samaha was sitting casually at the front of the room, and his easy confidence was a testament to his expertise.

Samaha started off his presentation by asking the audience to tell him where we got our news, and how to identify a credible source. He dived into media literacy, talking about fact checking, red flags of an unreliable news source, and credibility. Admittedly, it was the least interesting portion of his entire presentation, but he still prompted audience engagement.

He then explained what investigative journalism really is. In case you didn’t know, it is finding and revealing verified, impactful and new information to the public.

Throughout his presentation, Samaha emphasized the importance of being able to effectively and fluently navigate social situations and connect with people, both in journalism and other aspects of life.

Samaha explained how the first step in writing any investigative journalism piece is finding the right people to interview. Using an example from a story he wrote in 2015, Samaha demonstrated how there is no guidebook to interviewing people about what is likely the most traumatic events of their life, and every situation is different, so adaptability and compassion is a must for investigative journalism. He suggested that we don’t define people by the worst things that happened to them. A more genuine portrayal of the full scope and layers of someone’s life would add depth to your article. Frame the tragedy, or the point of the article, within a story of their life.

Samaha then led us through the beginning of actually writing an article. Over the course of reporting, an investigative journalist could be researching statistics, following people, and asking questions for months or years. The hardest part is choosing what small pieces of information, out of all that was collected, to use in the article, and in what order. In other words, how do we put the information in a readable format?

His answer, of course, is to start with Motown. The famous production company gained recognition in the 60’s for signing big name artists such as Stevie Wonder, the Jackson Five, and the Supremes. 

According to Samaha, Motown was ahead of its time in that instead of the minute long song introductions that dominated the radios, the company tried to catch the listeners’ attention in the first ten seconds. Samaha equated this to journalism. In the modern day, journalists compete with all sorts of entertainment media for the attention of consumers. Attention is the most valuable commodity, so it is essential to grab and keep holding a reader’s attention. The best way to open an article is with action, and the point of the story. Then, follow with a sequence of explosive facts so that the reader does not lose interest.

Samaha finished his presentation with a reminder that journalism develops emotional intelligence and social skills. With that, you can go anywhere and do anything.