Investigative Reporting Terminology

noun the act of revealing or uncovering something

verb to make something visible or known

adjective exposed, vulnerable

preposition used to indicate that something is revealed or made known

• The journalist decided to expose the corruption within the government.
• I can't believe she exposed all of our secrets to the public!
• She really threw shade and exposed him for cheating on her.
• The artist's use of light and shadow in the painting helped expose the true emotion of the scene.

noun physical work or activity that involves the legs, typically in preparation for something else

• The intern was tasked with doing all the legwork for the research project.
• I don't mind doing the legwork as long as it leads to something good in the end.
• I'm not doing all the legwork for this group project, someone else needs to step up.
• She did all the legwork in preparing for the presentation, so it went off without a hitch.

noun A person who investigates and reports or edits news stories

• The reporter arrived at the scene of the accident to gather information for the news story.
• The reporter is always chasing after the latest gossip for their column.
• That reporter is always snooping around for a juicy story.
• The reporter's pen is mightier than the sword when it comes to exposing the truth.

verb to reveal or make known something that was previously hidden or secret

• The detective was able to uncover new evidence in the case.
• I can't wait to uncover the surprise party plans for my birthday!
• Let's go explore the abandoned building and see what we can uncover.
• Through therapy, she was able to uncover deep-seated emotions that were holding her back.