University of North Texas Department of Journalism Oct. 2, 2008 Interactivity, Blogs, Sources

What We’ll Do Today Your Blogs – Campaign Websites Interactivity In-Class Writing Political Coverage ‘08/NTNewsNet HOMEWORK: - Do a complete analysis of PegasusNews.com. What works? What doesn’t? How would you improve it? 300 – 400 Words. Be prepared to ask questions to Mike Orren who will be speaking to our class next class.

Your Blogs – Campaign Websites

Interactivity

In-Class Writing

Political Coverage ‘08/NTNewsNet

HOMEWORK:

- Do a complete analysis of PegasusNews.com. What works? What doesn’t? How would you improve it? 300 – 400 Words. Be prepared to ask questions to Mike Orren who will be speaking to our class next class.

Developing Sources Lifeblood of your career as a reporter Get over your shyness, it’s time to open up Learn to talk to everybody – yes, strangers! Everybody is a potential source when you’re covering a breaking news story Start with newspaper clippings Pick up the phone or hit the streets

Lifeblood of your career as a reporter

Get over your shyness, it’s time to open up

Learn to talk to everybody – yes, strangers!

Everybody is a potential source when you’re covering a breaking news story

Start with newspaper clippings

Pick up the phone or hit the streets

Importance of Interaction & Involvement Two key factors Shift in flow of mass communications from one-way to multi-directional flow. Impacting how news is defined, the way it’s presented and how journalists do their jobs What people learn from the news User-controlled, user-driven content enhance learning Readers making mental connections to stories “ Participating” in the news

Two key factors

Shift in flow of mass communications from one-way to multi-directional flow.

Impacting how news is defined, the way it’s presented and how journalists do their jobs

What people learn from the news

User-controlled, user-driven content enhance learning

Readers making mental connections to stories

“ Participating” in the news

Traditional v. Digital Storytelling Traditional Focus on text Photos Periodic updating One-dimensional Long-form narrative Digital Media Immediacy ‘ Non-linear’ presentations Richness in words, pictures and sounds Shorter ‘segments’

Traditional

Focus on text

Photos

Periodic updating

One-dimensional

Long-form narrative

Digital Media

Immediacy

‘ Non-linear’ presentations

Richness in words, pictures and sounds

Shorter ‘segments’

The Five ‘I’s Interactivity Involvement Immediacy Integration In-depth

Interactivity

Involvement

Immediacy

Integration

In-depth

Interaction & Involvement Traditional One-way flow Inform, educate and entertain Editor/Reporter/ Producer driven The ‘old’ wire services Digital Media Multidirectional Inform, educate, entertain & ENGAGE Editor, reporter, producer & reader/view Online, TV news

Traditional

One-way flow

Inform, educate and entertain

Editor/Reporter/

Producer driven

The ‘old’ wire services

Digital Media

Multidirectional

Inform, educate, entertain & ENGAGE

Editor, reporter, producer & reader/view

Online, TV news

Text Static Graphic: Photo Text Box Online Discussion Lurker Link Interactive: Timeline fact box Slideshow map Quiz Interactive Game Interactive Flash Content Online Discussions Reporter Email Interaction/Involvement Continuum Low High The greater the interaction and involvement, the higher the learning

Interactive:

Timeline

fact box

Slideshow

map

‘ Working’ Your Sources ‘ Sponsorship’ Finding someone who you know who trusts you to introduce you to the source – a ‘referral’ Self-sponsorship Let me show you my work: ‘proof’ ‘ Matchmaking’ Asking a source to identify other people to talk to about the subject Primary & Secondary Sources Corroboration Verification Accuracy

‘ Sponsorship’

Finding someone who you know who trusts you to introduce you to the source – a ‘referral’

Self-sponsorship

Let me show you my work: ‘proof’

‘ Matchmaking’

Asking a source to identify other people to talk to about the subject

Primary & Secondary Sources

Corroboration

Verification

Accuracy

‘ Working’ Your Sources Follow the org chart Start at the top and, if needed, talk to everyone you need to get the information you need to be fair and accurate Anonymous/confidential sources: Avoid them at all costs The Downside: Janet Cooke, Jayson Blair, Stephen Glass The Upside: “Deep Throat” The controversial: Judith Miller

Follow the org chart

Start at the top and, if needed, talk to everyone you need to get the information you need to be fair and accurate

Anonymous/confidential sources:

Avoid them at all costs

The Downside: Janet Cooke, Jayson Blair, Stephen Glass

The Upside: “Deep Throat”

The controversial: Judith Miller

‘ Working’ Your Sources Never ‘promise’ anything to a source Commit ahead of time Variations of ‘Anonymous’ Sources On the record: Everything the source says, it will be printed Off the record: You and the source agree not to talk to you, but none of the information can be attributed to that person ‘ On background’/ Not for attribution: Use the information as background, but not for attribution

Never ‘promise’ anything to a source

Commit ahead of time

Variations of ‘Anonymous’ Sources

On the record: Everything the source says, it will be printed

Off the record: You and the source agree not to talk to you, but none of the information can be attributed to that person

‘ On background’/ Not for attribution: Use the information as background, but not for attribution

The Web: Friend & Foe Wikipedia is NOT a source Google, Yahoo!, MSN, MySpace, FaceBook are NOT sources Verify the legitimacy of the website and/or source or author of the website Find the contact information Where did the site get its content from Go to the PRIMARY/ORIGINAL source of content Determine if the site is affiliated with a special interest group, political affiliation, etc. Often overlooked resources Libraries Reverse phone directories: http://reversephonedirectory.com Find expert: http://profnet.com Investigative Reporters & Editors: http://www.ire.org/inthenews_archive/

Wikipedia is NOT a source

Google, Yahoo!, MSN, MySpace, FaceBook are NOT sources

Verify the legitimacy of the website and/or source or author of the website

Find the contact information

Where did the site get its content from

Go to the PRIMARY/ORIGINAL source of content

Determine if the site is affiliated with a special interest group, political affiliation, etc.

Often overlooked resources

Libraries

Reverse phone directories: http://reversephonedirectory.com

Find expert: http://profnet.com

Investigative Reporters & Editors: http://www.ire.org/inthenews_archive/

Public Documents Political contributions http://opensecrets.org Real estate records Register of the Deeds office http://dallascad.org http://denton COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE Voter registration records http://elections.dentoncounty.com/VRsearch/down.asp Salaries of county employees Corporate records Public companies: plug in stock symbol on the Business pages of most websites or go to the company website Congressional voting records http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/h001016/ Court filings Federal, Civic and Criminal Military records Register of the Deeds office or via FOIA Motor vehicle registrations Building inspection records and housing permits City budgets Police records School District records

Political contributions

http://opensecrets.org

Real estate records

Register of the Deeds office

http://dallascad.org

http://denton

COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE

Voter registration records

http://elections.dentoncounty.com/VRsearch/down.asp

Salaries of county employees

Corporate records

Public companies: plug in stock symbol on the Business pages of most websites or go to the company website

Congressional voting records

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/h001016/

Court filings

Federal, Civic and Criminal

Military records

Register of the Deeds office or via FOIA

Motor vehicle registrations

Building inspection records and housing permits

City budgets

Police records

School District records

The Freedom of Information Act Established by Congress in 1966 Make public records available Request is made to get access to these records: Weeks, months, years * From When Words Collide: A journalist’s Guide to Grammar and Style & EB White’s ‘Elements of Style

Established by Congress in 1966

Make public records available

Request is made to get access to these records:

Weeks, months, years