Investigative reporting

1
Investigative reporting

• It can be done in high school
• GSSPA

2
Who is an investigative reporter?

• All news reporters should be, or at least could
  be.
• There is nothing magical about it.
• It takes intense curiosity.
• It takes a little skepticism.
• A little bit of outrage.
• Add a lot of luck. And you have

3
Investigative reporting!

• Definition The reporting, through ones own
  initiative and work product, of matters of
  importance to readers, viewers or listeners. In
  many cases, the subjects of the reporting wish
  the matters under scrutiny to remain undisclosed.

4
But its more than that. Really.

• It also includes stories that might get missed
  because they involve a little digging.
• Also, it includes enterprise reporting.

5
A lot of it involves records

• Public records.
• News records.
• Court records.
• Board of Ed records.

6
Tips

• Sometimes someone will tip you about something
  going on.

7
Tips

• And it could be a good tip.

8
Other times

• No one will talk.

9
Some ideas for digging

• U.S. Census http//www.census.gov/
• Population of your town and trends
• Racial or poverty changes
• Neighborhood changes
• Health
• Justice

10
(No Transcript)
11
Excel is good to know
12
(No Transcript)
13
(No Transcript)
14
Investigative reporting

• Tuition costs of five most popular colleges where
  your classmates go.
• Health problems of students (without embarrassing
  one student with a problem)
• Depression (stats) and professional interviews
• Anorexia special needs etc.

15
Budgets

• Compare budgets to competing schools.
• How much did each spend on books? Extra
  curriculars? Teachers salaries?

16
Board of Ed

• Go to meetings (see board site for details).

17
(No Transcript)
18
Ask for salaries

• Superintendent, principal should all be there.
• OPRA them.
• Its all public information.

19
Open Public Records Act

• All records, with some exceptions, are open to
  the public, including high school students.
• Record keeper (school board secretary, municipal
  clerk) has 7 business days to respond.
• Describe your record carefully.

20
Seek help

• Foundation for Open Government (httpwww.njfog.org
  )
• Investigative Reporters and Editors
  (http//www.ire.org)
• Society of Professional Journalists
  (httpwww.spj.org)
• Student Press Law Center (http//www.splc.org)

21
Word of mouth

• Talk to people in the cafeteria.
• Find people in large clubs (band, major teams,
  etc.)
• Engage teachers, aides, staff in conversation.

22
What does your school buy?

• Food
• Maintenance
• Construction
• Supplies
• Books

23
School violence

• Discipline problems whats the policy?
• Is there is a written policy?
• Is discipline ad hoc and therefore
  unpredictable?Are certain racial or ethnic groups
  singled out?
• Are there drugs or alcohol in school?
• Sexual harassment?

24
Student retention

• Are failing students elevated to the next grade?
• What is the dropout rate?

25
Are teachers competent?

• Some teachers need to be recertified. How many
  are?
• What colleges have teachers attended?
• List them in clusters
• Find stories among the most common colleges and
  the least common.

26
Instructional materials

• Who picks the books? What are the standards?
• Who hires internet companies what are the
  criteria?
• What are the standards for buying computers? How
  are they equipped?
• How can students get out of lower tracks?

27
Special needs students

• About 1 out of 10 receives at least some support
  nationally.
• Are special needs students segregated or
  mainstreamed?
• Are special needs terms being abused to get more
  funding? Are more students being tossed into the
  category?

28
Non-teaching employees

• Who are they? What do they do?
• Bus drivers driving unsafe buses?
• Is the building safe? Asbestos in the ceiling?
  Broken windows?
• Is your school a fire trap?
• How many are home-schooled, and what happens to
  them when they turn 18?

29
The big picture

• Try to understand the most important problems
  your school has look into them. No one else
  will.
• Look at everything money, faculty, student
  backgrounds.
• Find a common picture then write your story.

30
Basic writing rules

• Talk to people dont lecture them.
• Stay outraged.
• Put people into your story.
• Use a lot of graphics.
• Dont bore the reader.
• Avoid stereotypes.
• Use an outline, a chronology or both.

31
Have fun
32
But be responsible