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Investigative Journalism has a rich history that has colored the views of our evolving society as a whole. Coverage from presidential races and even such landmark events as man landing on the moon have all been seen through the eyes of investigative reporters. The public depends on the skills of experienced journalists to bring them information that would be impossible to ascertain on their own. The public has also begun to depend on the opinions and views of journalists to shape how they view the world and the political sphere. The straight facts are no longer the only concern of journalists, the public often looks to certain news voices to exist as someone that they can identify with. Beginning with the first newspaper the concept of ‘journalism’ has changed and evolved with the times that they are documenting. The practice did not really pick up speed and come into its own until the 1960′s. The advent of wide spread media such as televisions and newspapers made this possible. As the world of investigative journalism evolved, the industry itself began to impose standards and values on itself to help it become a distinguished practice and also to keep control by government forces at bay, since that organization’s activity tended to be the focus of the majority of reports. Often referred to as “watchdog journalism” or “accountability reporting” journalists working in this field often spend months or years researching and preparing a story. The content of these pieces is generally revolving around some form of crime, political corruption, or corporate wrong doing. Investigative journalists turn to a variety of sources when researching their stories. In the past these sources have included databases of public record, legal documents and financial filings, and information acquired from the federal government through the Freedom of Information Act. This act has been a key turning point in increasing the capabilities of journalists that were previously unavailable to them. In recent years this type of reporting has begun to rely more and more on whistle blowers, or the confessions of anonymous sources close to the agency or individual on which is being reported. Some recent investigative journalists that are worth noting include Veronica Guerin, Bill Dedman, and John Pilger.