A series of occasional links pointing to essays I think seriously examine the way we get our knowledge about how the world is, was, will be, might be, or should be — commonly understood as journalism. I’ll include some questions of my own underneath the summary. Have a suggestion? Let me know.

Paul Steiger addresses the future of investigative reporting “in the Web era” in an essay on the Huffington Post.

Newspapers once provided the bulk of the nation’s investigative reporting into “[abuses] of power and failure to uphold the public interest.” Today, newspapers and the depth of their coverage, are thinning, dying, or already dead.

Who will pick up the slack?

Steiger wants to counter “the extreme Web advocates” who argue that individual bloggers or crowdsourcing a lá Wikipedia will “gradually get us to truth.” He argues that only organizations will be able to muster the technical, financial, and legal resources necessary for sustained investigations.

Steiger, who edits ProPublica, the non-profit reporting outfit, says his is one of many organizations in the developing news ecosystem that may be able to sustain the journalism that newspapers are leaving behind.

Read: Paul Steiger, “Investigative Reporting in the Web Era,” on The Huffington Post.

Dave’s food for thought

• Steiger never mentions money beyond that it’s necessary for investigative reporting. Where’s it gonna come from for him and the new kinds of organizations he mentions?

• Is there a point to attacking “the extreme” Web advocates? Who takes them seriously? Not to mention he attacks a straw man – no sources or links are cited to demonstrate who holds this “extreme” position.