The effectiveness of investigative journalism during the 2022 mass protests in Sri Lanka: A quantitative study

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of investigative journalism during the 2022 mass protests in Sri Lanka, focusing on how structural and contextual challenges impact journalistic practices. The study adopts a quantitative approach, grounded in framing theory as its conceptual framework, and uses a self-administered questionnaire distributed to 200 journalists working for print and online newspapers. Data were analysed through PLS-SEM to assess key influencing factors: lack of resources, government pressure, legal challenges, perceived life threats, and perceived media freedom. Findings reveal that resource constraints, government pressure, personal safety concerns, and legal threats significantly and negatively affect the effectiveness of investigative journalism. However, perceived media freedom did not show a significant positive relationship with journalistic effectiveness. These results suggest that structural and institutional influences substantially challenge journalistic practice during political crises, even when legal frameworks nominally affirm press freedom. The study underscores the urgent need for structural reforms and support mechanisms to ensure journalistic independence and resilience in conflict-affected contexts. Implications for media policy, civil society engagement, and journalistic training are also discussed.