Abstract: The study traces the development of investigative journalism practice in the Tunisian context from 2011 to 2021, using a methodology that moves away from the normative approach, which evaluates investigative journalism based on its ideal functions, in favour of a procedural approach that focuses on context and actors. The normative approach emphasises what investigative journalism should be, thereby obscuring an understanding of what it actually is in practice. In contrast, the procedural approach examines journalistic practices within their specific contexts – or journalism as it is practiced, not as it should be. The study finds that the flourishing of investigative journalism is linked to favourable conditions across revolutionary, political-transitional and media-related contexts. It categorises the actors involved in investigative journalism into four groups: journalists, media institutions, international organisations and the state. The study arrives at two key findings: first, that investigative journalism, thriving in the post-revolutionary political transition, constitutes a unique experiment marked by innovation at the levels of institutions, journalists, economic models, roles and editorial content. Second, the study finds that the conditions necessary for the sustainability of investigative journalism are currently lacking, given the failure of Tunisia’s political transition. Keywords: Investigative Journalism, Political Transition, Media System, Journalistic Ideology, Political Polarisation.
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