Australian journalism has changed significantly in the last fifty years, to become much less constrained. It is no longer restricted to reporting verbatim the public pronouncements of prominent men. It has become more investigative and more independent of politicians and owners, more able to pursue Fourth Estate ideals. This is evident in the attitudes of journalists, as has been shown, but can also be seen in the types of stories pursued and the methods used. In this chapter I trace the process by which Australian journalists have become more expansive in their editorial expectations, in a transition which can be characterised as a move from reporting to investigating.

In this chapter I identify key individuals, events and institutions as signposts on the road of transition. The evolving commitment to pursuing Fourth Estate ideals is examined by analysing some major breakthroughs in the form and content of Australian journalism since the late 1950s.