Course Schedule | JRN275 home page
KEY DATES:
(Links here are to assignment instructions and/or study guide)
* Noon, Saturday, March 2 - Assignment #1 is due via BlackBoard
* Noon, Sunday, March 17 - Assignment #2 is due via BlackBoard
* 8 a.m., Thursday, April 4 - Midterm will be administered
* 8 a.m. Thursday, May 7 - Movie Paper is due via BlackBoard
* 8 a.m., Tuesday, May 14 - Final submitted via BlackBoard (no late papers will be accepted)
WEEK 1.
Tuesday, Jan. 22
What we will do in class: Course introduction, learning objectives, personal introductions.
What is due next session: Read Gaines, Chap. 1 (pp. 1-21); Identify a piece of investigative journalism *bring the link, or copy to class*, write what elements make it so, answer questions on p. 21
Thursday, Jan. 24
What we will do in class: Lecture (ppt) and discussion on investigative journalism
What is due next session: Read Gaines, Chap. 2 (pp. 23-49) and Cullier & Davis, Chap. 3 (pp. 39-62); Create a story pitch (example on pp. 44-45)
WEEK 2.
Tuesday, Jan. 29
What we will do in class: Lecture (ppt) and discussion on story pitches
What is due next session: Read Gaines, Chap. 3 (pp. 51-75) and Cullier & Davis, Chap. 4 (pp. 64-84)
Thursday, Jan. 31
What we will do in class: Lecture (ppt) and discussion
What is due next session: Team pitch. Read Cullier & Davis, Chap. 5 (pp. 86-113).
WEEK 3.
Tuesday, Feb. 5
What we will do in class: Lecture (ppt) and discussion on FOIA requests
What is due next session: Draft a FOIA request that corresponds with your team pitch (print and bring it to class.
Thursday, Feb. 7
What we will do in class: Study web sources and create a team pitch in class
What is due next session: Read Cullier & Davis, Chap. 6 (pp. 114-136) and CJR story on Toledo Blade/Charlottesville coverage.
WEEK 4.
Tuesday, Feb. 12
What we will do in class: SNOW DAY
What is due next session: Read the following articles to prepare for Thursday's guest speaker:
Thursday, Feb. 14
What we will do in class: Discuss readings from Feb. 7; Guest speaker -- New Haven Register's city hall reporter Clare Dignan
What is due next class: Read Gaines, Chap. 6 (pp. 131-152) and Journalist's Resource article
WEEK 5.
Tuesday, Feb. 19
What we will do in class: In-class discussion on how our court system works, police, courts, prisons (ppt)
What is due next class: Identify information from your Town Clerk about a specific case (details in class)
Thursday, Feb. 21
What we will do in class: Discuss case info and go through a criminal case in class
What is due next class: Prepare a pitch from the information provided
WEEK 6.
Tuesday, Feb. 26
What we will do in class: Go over pitches, discuss Assignment #1
What is due next class: Read Gaines, Chap. 7 (pp. 153-176), Journalist's Resource article and Understanding the IRS 990 form
Thursday, Feb. 28
What we will do in class: Lecture on investigating non-profits (ppt) and begin to work on 990s
Assignment #1 is due by noon, Saturday, March 2 via Blackboard
WEEK 7.
Tuesday, March 5
What we will do in class: Continue to analyze Form 990s in small groups in class and draft a pitch (does it need more public docs?)
What is due next class: Group story pitch; Identify and analyze a current event/investigation that uses 990 forms (print and bring to class for Thursday)
Thursday, March 7
What we will do in class: Discuss pitches, journalism and the upcoming Assignment #2
What is due next class: Assignment #2 is due by noon, Sunday, March 17 via Blackboard
WEEK 8.
NO CLASS
SPRING BREAK
WEEK 9.
Tuesday, March 19
What we will do in class: Discuss investigating the government.
What is due next session: Read Gaines, Chap. 8 (pp. 177-201) & Fake polls are a real problem & Journalist’s Resource article
Thursday, March 21
What we will do in class: Lecture on polls and studies -- what to look for, what to avoid
What is due next session: Read First Amendment Handbook, Chap. 2 (pp. 11-18)
WEEK 10.
Tuesday, March 26
What we will do in class: Lecture on Privacy Laws: Legal torts and Privacy Defenses
What is due next session: Read First Amendment Handbook, Chaps. 3 & 4 (pp. 19-34)
Thursday, March 28
NO CLASS PROFESSOR IS AT CONFERENCE
What is due next session: Read First Amendment Handbook, Chaps. 3 & 4 (pp. 19-34)
WEEK 11.
Tuesday, April 2
What we will do in class: Lecture on Surreptitious Recording and Confidential Sources
What is due next session: Study for midterm
Thursday, April 4
What we will do in class: MIDTERM
What is due next session: Take the weekend off
WEEK 12.
Tuesday, April 9
What we will do in class: Watch video clips on interviews and discuss
What is due next session: Advice from journalists - pay attention to INTERVIEWING (Read this) and Menchner's interviewing principles (Read this)
Thursday, April 11
What we will do in class: Discussion on interviews; conduct practice interviews
What is due next session: Read "Loosening Lips" by Eric Nalder
WEEK 13.
Tuesday, April 16
What we will do in class: More on practice interviews; discussing the in-depth interview
What is due next session: Read the SPJ's Code of Ethics and begin to think about Final project
Thursday, April 18
What we will do in class: Discussion on ethics and interviewing
What is due next session: Identify topic and interview subject; make initial contact with subject by Tuesday
WEEK 14.
Tuesday, April 23
What we will do in class: Major investigative projects -- what makes them good?
What is due next session: Read "The Watergate watershed: A turning point for a nation and a newspaper" by Katharine Graham, Washington Post & "The Watergate Scandal," History.com, and read "Church allowed abuse by priests for years" by Spotlight Team
Thursday, April 25
What we will do in class: Discussion on All the President's Men, Spotlight and In the Dark (Season 2)
What is due next session: Movie/Podcast paper
WEEK 15.
Tuesday, April 30
Pick A or B:
A.) Watch both All the President's Men (Available at McMahon Center, available to rent through Amazon Prime or at BEST Video Film & Cultural Center) and Spotlight (Available at McMahon Center, available to rent through Netflix or at BEST Video Film & Cultural Center)
B.) Listen to the podcast In the Dark, Season 2
Thursday, May 2
Movie paper due May 7
WEEK 16.
Tuesday, May 7
What we will do in class: Workshop the Final
What is due next session: First draft of story pitch
Thursday, May 9
What we will do in class: Bagels, professor evaluations & wrap-up
What is due next session: Turn in final project -- Story pitch, Interview transcript & FOIA request
FINALS WEEK
Tuesday, May 14, 8 a.m.
(Links here are to assignment instructions and/or study guide)
* Noon, Saturday, March 2 - Assignment #1 is due via BlackBoard
* Noon, Sunday, March 17 - Assignment #2 is due via BlackBoard
* 8 a.m., Thursday, April 4 - Midterm will be administered
* 8 a.m. Thursday, May 7 - Movie Paper is due via BlackBoard
* 8 a.m., Tuesday, May 14 - Final submitted via BlackBoard (no late papers will be accepted)
WEEK 1.
Tuesday, Jan. 22
What we will do in class: Course introduction, learning objectives, personal introductions.
What is due next session: Read Gaines, Chap. 1 (pp. 1-21); Identify a piece of investigative journalism *bring the link, or copy to class*, write what elements make it so, answer questions on p. 21
Thursday, Jan. 24
What we will do in class: Lecture (ppt) and discussion on investigative journalism
What is due next session: Read Gaines, Chap. 2 (pp. 23-49) and Cullier & Davis, Chap. 3 (pp. 39-62); Create a story pitch (example on pp. 44-45)
WEEK 2.
Tuesday, Jan. 29
What we will do in class: Lecture (ppt) and discussion on story pitches
What is due next session: Read Gaines, Chap. 3 (pp. 51-75) and Cullier & Davis, Chap. 4 (pp. 64-84)
Thursday, Jan. 31
What we will do in class: Lecture (ppt) and discussion
What is due next session: Team pitch. Read Cullier & Davis, Chap. 5 (pp. 86-113).
WEEK 3.
Tuesday, Feb. 5
What we will do in class: Lecture (ppt) and discussion on FOIA requests
What is due next session: Draft a FOIA request that corresponds with your team pitch (print and bring it to class.
Thursday, Feb. 7
What we will do in class: Study web sources and create a team pitch in class
What is due next session: Read Cullier & Davis, Chap. 6 (pp. 114-136) and CJR story on Toledo Blade/Charlottesville coverage.
WEEK 4.
Tuesday, Feb. 12
What we will do in class: SNOW DAY
What is due next session: Read the following articles to prepare for Thursday's guest speaker:
- Warrant: New Haven property manager stole $150,000 in rent
- Panel hears testimony on proposed New Haven homeless bill of rights
- Attorney in lead poisoning cases wants New Haven mayor to take action
Thursday, Feb. 14
What we will do in class: Discuss readings from Feb. 7; Guest speaker -- New Haven Register's city hall reporter Clare Dignan
What is due next class: Read Gaines, Chap. 6 (pp. 131-152) and Journalist's Resource article
WEEK 5.
Tuesday, Feb. 19
What we will do in class: In-class discussion on how our court system works, police, courts, prisons (ppt)
What is due next class: Identify information from your Town Clerk about a specific case (details in class)
Thursday, Feb. 21
What we will do in class: Discuss case info and go through a criminal case in class
What is due next class: Prepare a pitch from the information provided
WEEK 6.
Tuesday, Feb. 26
What we will do in class: Go over pitches, discuss Assignment #1
What is due next class: Read Gaines, Chap. 7 (pp. 153-176), Journalist's Resource article and Understanding the IRS 990 form
Thursday, Feb. 28
What we will do in class: Lecture on investigating non-profits (ppt) and begin to work on 990s
Assignment #1 is due by noon, Saturday, March 2 via Blackboard
WEEK 7.
Tuesday, March 5
What we will do in class: Continue to analyze Form 990s in small groups in class and draft a pitch (does it need more public docs?)
What is due next class: Group story pitch; Identify and analyze a current event/investigation that uses 990 forms (print and bring to class for Thursday)
Thursday, March 7
What we will do in class: Discuss pitches, journalism and the upcoming Assignment #2
What is due next class: Assignment #2 is due by noon, Sunday, March 17 via Blackboard
WEEK 8.
NO CLASS
SPRING BREAK
WEEK 9.
Tuesday, March 19
What we will do in class: Discuss investigating the government.
What is due next session: Read Gaines, Chap. 8 (pp. 177-201) & Fake polls are a real problem & Journalist’s Resource article
Thursday, March 21
What we will do in class: Lecture on polls and studies -- what to look for, what to avoid
What is due next session: Read First Amendment Handbook, Chap. 2 (pp. 11-18)
WEEK 10.
Tuesday, March 26
What we will do in class: Lecture on Privacy Laws: Legal torts and Privacy Defenses
What is due next session: Read First Amendment Handbook, Chaps. 3 & 4 (pp. 19-34)
Thursday, March 28
NO CLASS PROFESSOR IS AT CONFERENCE
What is due next session: Read First Amendment Handbook, Chaps. 3 & 4 (pp. 19-34)
WEEK 11.
Tuesday, April 2
What we will do in class: Lecture on Surreptitious Recording and Confidential Sources
What is due next session: Study for midterm
Thursday, April 4
What we will do in class: MIDTERM
What is due next session: Take the weekend off
WEEK 12.
Tuesday, April 9
What we will do in class: Watch video clips on interviews and discuss
What is due next session: Advice from journalists - pay attention to INTERVIEWING (Read this) and Menchner's interviewing principles (Read this)
Thursday, April 11
What we will do in class: Discussion on interviews; conduct practice interviews
What is due next session: Read "Loosening Lips" by Eric Nalder
WEEK 13.
Tuesday, April 16
What we will do in class: More on practice interviews; discussing the in-depth interview
What is due next session: Read the SPJ's Code of Ethics and begin to think about Final project
Thursday, April 18
What we will do in class: Discussion on ethics and interviewing
What is due next session: Identify topic and interview subject; make initial contact with subject by Tuesday
WEEK 14.
Tuesday, April 23
What we will do in class: Major investigative projects -- what makes them good?
What is due next session: Read "The Watergate watershed: A turning point for a nation and a newspaper" by Katharine Graham, Washington Post & "The Watergate Scandal," History.com, and read "Church allowed abuse by priests for years" by Spotlight Team
Thursday, April 25
What we will do in class: Discussion on All the President's Men, Spotlight and In the Dark (Season 2)
What is due next session: Movie/Podcast paper
WEEK 15.
Tuesday, April 30
Pick A or B:
A.) Watch both All the President's Men (Available at McMahon Center, available to rent through Amazon Prime or at BEST Video Film & Cultural Center) and Spotlight (Available at McMahon Center, available to rent through Netflix or at BEST Video Film & Cultural Center)
B.) Listen to the podcast In the Dark, Season 2
Thursday, May 2
Movie paper due May 7
WEEK 16.
Tuesday, May 7
What we will do in class: Workshop the Final
What is due next session: First draft of story pitch
Thursday, May 9
What we will do in class: Bagels, professor evaluations & wrap-up
What is due next session: Turn in final project -- Story pitch, Interview transcript & FOIA request
FINALS WEEK
Tuesday, May 14, 8 a.m.