On The Project Management of Investigative Journalism

[danieldwilliam]

I am genuinely curious about what is actually driving the timing of the news reports about Russell Brand.

I very definitely do not mean, what Establishment Secrets or Deep Truth was Brand about to reveal that meant that he needed to be silenced.

I mean, what’s been the project plan for the investigative journalism, the investigation and research, interviews, verification, editorial and legal review. How does that all work. Why has the story broken this weekend and not a weekend last spring or next spring?

Comments

[andrewducker]

I suspect that the number of people willing to talk about it hit a critical mass. With one or two you know people will dismiss it. If you can tell your witnesses that you already have 3 people who are going to stand up then it makes #4 more likely to do so because they know they are less likely to be dismissed.

So it's probably fairly random timing based around when enough have gathered together in the one place.

Also, Brand is no longer the mainstream chap with the support of the media he once was. He's now a conspiracy idiot ranting about vaccination on YouTube. So it may have reached this point a few times before, but not with the impetus to get past that barrier.

[danieldwilliam]

I suspect that the number of people willing to talk about it hit a critical mass.

That's probably a big part of it yeah.

My guess is that in about 6 month's time, if the current allegations continue to be robust, there will be another batch of public complaints as a few more people find the courage and support to come forward.

Also, Brand is no longer the mainstream chap with the support of the media he once was

I see that. At the most cynical end of this, if his cheeky chappy persona is not making your organisation any money any more why would you exert any influence on people to keep quiet?

[andrewducker]

Yeah. I suspect that there are two forces at work there, both the institutional protection of an asset and friends protecting their coworkers.

[dewline]

Enough people have had enough of his behaviour, probably.