https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884918763526 Journalism 1–19 © The Author(s) 2018 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1464884918763526 journals.sagepub.com/home/jou An investigative journalist and a stand-up comic walk into a bar: The role of comedy in public engagement with environmental journalism Caty Borum Chattoo American University School of Communication and Center for Media & Social Impact, USA Lindsay Green-Barber The Impact Architects, USA Abstract Public engagement with investigative journalism content is a challenging pursuit in the competitive digital era. As investigative journalism organizations innovate to engage the public, leveraging comedy may be worth considering, given comedy’s ability to attract attention and encourage public sharing. To explore this proposition, an investigative reporting collaborative project about toxic environmental contamination in New Jersey, Dirty Little Secrets, worked with stand-up comics to translate investigative news material into stand-up comedy routines performed in front of two live audiences. Through post-viewing surveys, this study found that the stand- up comedy show audiences learned factual information and perceived comedians as credible sources of environmental contamination information. In-depth interviews with one participating journalist and four participating stand-up comics reveal a positive collaborative experience. Keywords Audience/engagement, comedy, creativity, engagement, innovation, investigative reporting, local journalism, social change, social impact Corresponding author: Caty Borum Chattoo, Center for Media & Social Impact, School of Communication, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016, USA. Email: chattoo@american.edu 763526JOU 0 0 10.1177/1464884918763526JournalismBorum Chattoo and Green-Barber research-article 2018 Original Article