Some media investigations sway public opinion and serve as the impetus for government reforms, while others, seemingly of equal importance, just die. This volume--the first systematic study of investigative reporting in the post-Watergate era--explores how and why this happens. Based on a decade-long program of research, highlighted by case studies of the life courses of six well-known media investigations and interviews with a national sample of over 800 investigative journalists, this book presents a new theory about the agenda-setting role of media in American society. Chapters examine the...