Dangerous liaisons: undercover journalism, standpoint theory and social revelation

Abstract

Standpoint Theory suggests that those who can bring the most insight to the workings of society are those on its edges and its margins. People living in circumstances of disempowerment are better placed because of their standpoint to perceive what is really occurring across the social and cultural domain; it is their standpoint, which is the most revealing. When a journalist works undercover, they are attempting to better understand, as far as is possible for an outsider, the standpoint of the people whose stories are being told. This article examines the methods of three undercover print journalists through the lens of standpoint theory, arguing that it is an ethical approach to uncover the lived realities of the disadvantaged.