The Fourth Estate is not dead. It is just evolving amid great advances in technology as well as the meeting of old and new political ideology.

One of the greatest careers in the news business is investigative journalism.  It is the stuff that Pulitzer Prizes are made of.

So, in the interest of public service, The Adobo Chronicles is publishing this do-it-yourself (DIY) guide to becoming an award-winning investigative journalist, especially if you practice your profession in the Philippines.

• Publish an opinionated book and pass it on as “historical.”
• It’s all about book titles.  The best titles usually start with “Never Again…”
• Open a Twitter account.
• Spend a minimum of 16 hours in front of your computer. Never leave home to investigate. Why bother with Metro Manila traffic? And without Uber? Forget it!
• Crowdsource, crowdsource, crowdsource.
• You can’t fit in facts with just 140 characters.  So ask questions, and more questions.
• Block all followers who respond negatively to your tweets.
• Nourish your relationship with your spouse. He or she will be your greatest inspiration and defender.
• The names of the best investigative journalists usually start with an “R.” Examples are Raissa, Risa, Ressa. (Our own publisher’s name starts with an “R.”  Glad we got that in!)
• If your name doesn’t begin with an “R,” no worries. You can always adopt hard-hitting pen names like “Rocky,” “Rogando,” or “R. Nieto.” Or respectable names like Reyes or Rivera.
• If all else fails, go back to journalism school. May we suggest that tuition-free campus in Diliman, Quezon City?