The Impact of Information Sharing Behavior on Global Investigative Journalism: Mediation Role of Needs and Sources

The current study explores the impact of collaborative information sharing behavior of Pakistani journalists on the understanding of global investigative journalism (GIJ). Moreover, it assesses the mediating contribution of the needs of sharing information for companionship (SIC), sharing information for personal identification (SIPI), and sources used for information sharing (SUIS) under the theoretical perspectives of information acquiring and sharing and information activities in work tasks. Scales of information sharing behavior, needs of SIC, SIPI, SUIS, and the understanding of GIJ were constructed, while the opinions of 300 registered journalists were recorded. Cronbach’s alpha was executed to test the reliability of scales. The impact of demographic characteristics, namely gender and age, was also tested. Independent sample t-test, ANOVA, and linear regression analysis were applied to test the relationships among the variables. PLS-Smart4 was used to test the proposed model. The results showed that information sharing behavior influenced the understanding of GIJ, although this understanding was enhanced due to the contributing role of mediating variables, namely the needs of SIC, SIPI, and SUIS. As compared to gender, age had a greater impact on sharing information to understand GIJ. The study can directly impact journalistic practices and policies. By understanding the specific needs and behaviors of journalists, media organizations can implement more effective strategies to support investigative journalism.