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Hello -

Welcome to my site.

Some new investigative print articles will be up here shortly. And a new miscarriage of justice case study I worked on extensively will also be appearing too. Details of two new broadcast documentaries I Executive Produced will also appear soon.

My professional life is a 24hrs a day mix of both practising and teaching investigative journalism: in theory, one informs the other and both drive each other too. Yet, I find I am constantly revising and changing my opinions about both sides of my working life.

Investigative journalism, like many forms of journalism, has undergone a massive change in working practices over the last 5 years. New technology means that there's an easier way to, for example, trace somebody, than it used to be in the days when only Voter Rolls could be consulted in some out of the way windswept library. It also means journalists like me can more effectively and efficiently contact experts and build a better working relationship across oceans and continents. But it's not all like an episode of 'CSI: New York' either. I recently found myself meeting a source in a shady bar and muttering under my breath in case we were being taped. The thought, 'Like a scene from a bad B-movie script...' flashed across my mind. I dearly love my technology - laptop; Blackberry; recording devices (various!) etc - but I also know that plodding around on rainy nights and meeting real people involved in real-life predicaments, usually results in the best stories.

Of course, I'm always being asked 'where do you find stories?' In truth, there's no easy answer. Sometimes they are inside bigger stories; other times someone walks up to me and suggests something that's bothering them should be examined. These days I get dozens of emails a month to this site from people wanting me to investigate something. More often than not, I have to politely turn their suggestion down. For an investigation to work it must be in the wider public interest; contain truly 'hidden' information that someone wants buried; and also lead to a readable article or broadcast programme. That's setting the bar high, I know, but it's also the harsh reality.

I was intentionally quiet at the end of 2008 on this site - my personal life took a fantastic turn when I welcomed two new twin-additions to my family - yes, I should be tired but I find myself more enthusiastic and fired-up about my life and job than usual... which is good, since I've just realised 2009 marks my 20th year as a professional journalist.

Enjoy the site - and remember to contact me if you have a story for me to check out... or simply want to talk about something else.

Best,

Eamonn

Media Mentor offers highly effective media training in TV and radio studios throughout the UK.

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