Examines a particular rhetorical and narrative strategy--irony--used in a particular genre of contemporary journalism--investigative reporting--to tell stories about suffering and injustice. Argues that irony "in" journalism presents several ironies "of" journalism. (RS)

Examines three news stories to illustrate how journalists can use irony to undercut and even reverse the literal or ostensible meaning of what is being reported. Argues that, by issuing its judgment quietly, irony renders morality a private matter, which is arguably dysfunctional in a society where the role of the press is to foster public debate…

A truly diverse press not only takes seriously its political role of fostering robust debate but stands committed to its cultural role of providing a distinctively local context for the issues and discussions it reports. However, what contributes to the diminution of press diversity remains a controversial question that continues to attract…

Examines how investigative journalists work within the unresolved tension between detached observation and active moral agency. Concludes that investigative journalism may oversee the reinforcement of dominant moral values, but may also preside over the definition and development, as well as the debasement and dissolution, of those values. (MS)