This presentation is used by Fernando Diaz, the managing editor of Hoy Chicago and a News Literacy Project volunteer, to explain how primary sources have changed in the digital age, and why consumers should demand access to them.

1. Primary Sources
in the Digital Age:
How Access to Documentation Enhances Credibility
Fernando Diaz
Managing editor
Hoy
April 8, 2014

2. Segment Overview
Essential questions:
III. How can students know what to believe?
IV. What challenges and opportunities do
the Internet and digital media create?

3. Primary Source: Original materials—
i.e. unaltered, unfiltered documents,
objects or information created during a
particular event or time.
Primary Sources

4. Primary Source: Original materials—
i.e. unaltered, unfiltered documents,
objects or information created during a
particular event or time.
Primary sources are “the raw
materials of history” and provide direct
evidence about their subject or period.
(Library of Congress)
Primary Sources

5. Journalists use primary sources as
the foundation of fact-based news
reports.
Primary Sources

6. Journalists use primary sources as
the foundation of fact-based news
reports.
o Locate and obtain
o Review, evaluate and sort
o Place key pieces of information in
context with information from
other sources
Primary Sources

7. Primary Source:
– Government reports
Primary Sources in
Journalism

8. Primary Source:
– Government reports (budgets,
program data, statistics, reports,
birth certificates, etc.)
Primary Sources in
Journalism

9. Primary Source:
– Government reports
– Court records
Primary Sources in
Journalism

10. Primary Source:
– Government reports
– Court records (criminal records,
lawsuits, liens, etc.)
Primary Sources in
Journalism

11. Primary Source:
– Government reports
– Court records
– School records
Primary Sources in
Journalism

12. Primary Source:
– Government reports
– Court records
– School records (program data,
graduation rates, test scores,
budgets, etc.)
Primary Sources in
Journalism

13. Primary Source:
– Government reports
– Court records
– School records
– Tax records
Primary Sources in
Journalism

14. Primary Source:
– Government reports
– Court records
– School records
– Tax records
– Police reports
Primary Sources in
Journalism

15. Primary Source:
– Government reports
– Court records
– School records
– Tax records
– Police reports (criminal and
accident records, investigations)
Primary Sources in
Journalism

16. Primary Source:
– People:
Primary Sources in
Journalism

17. Primary Source:
– People:
• Eyewitnesses
Primary Sources in
Journalism

18. Primary Source:
– People:
• Eyewitnesses
• Directly involved in an incident/event
Primary Sources in
Journalism

19. Primary Source:
– People:
• Eyewitnesses
• Directly involved in an incident/event
• Public officials
Primary Sources in
Journalism

20. Primary Source:
– Others:
Primary Sources in
Journalism

21. Primary Source:
– Others:
• Video and audio recordings
Primary Sources in
Journalism

22. Primary Source:
– Others:
• Video and audio recordings
• Phone records and voicemail
Primary Sources in
Journalism

23. Primary Source:
– Others:
• Video and audio recordings
• Phone records and voicemail
• Photographs/images
Primary Sources in
Journalism

24. Primary Source:
– Others:
• Video and audio recordings
• Phone records and voicemail
• Photographs/images
• Emails or letters
Primary Sources in
Journalism

25. Print vs. Digital
Digital
• Longer reports
• Video
• Picture galleries
• Primary sources:
o Documents
o Video
o Audio
o Data
repositories

26. Case Study

27. Case Study

28. Case Study

29. Case Study

30. Transparency
Providing access to primary
sources increases the transparency
of a news report.

31. Transparency
Providing access to primary
sources increases the transparency
of a news report.

32. Transparency
Providing access to primary
sources increases the transparency
of a news report.

33. Tell us…
Chat question:
Why is it important for news
organizations to be transparent?
How does transparency increase
credibility?

34. Big Takeaways

35. Big Takeaways
• Primary sources are original, often “raw”
materials;

36. Big Takeaways
• Primary sources are original, often “raw”
materials;
• Journalists use primary sources as the
foundation of fact-based news reports;

37. Big Takeaways
• Primary sources are original, often “raw”
materials;
• Journalists use primary sources as the
foundation of fact-based news reports;
• Primary sources are not the same as journalism;

38. Big Takeaways
• Primary sources are original, often “raw”
materials;
• Journalists use primary sources as the
foundation of fact-based news reports;
• Primary sources are not the same as journalism;
• Giving the public access to the primary sources
used in a report increases transparency and
therefore credibility;

39. Big Takeaways
• Primary sources are original, often “raw”
materials;
• Journalists use primary sources as the
foundation of fact-based news reports;
• Primary sources are not the same as journalism;
• Giving the public access to the primary sources
used in a report increases transparency and
therefore credibility;
• An increasing amount of raw data and other
information is available online.

40. Data Tools You Can Use

41. Data Tools You Can Use
https://nycopendata.socrata.com/

42. Data Tools You Can Use
https://nycopendata.socrata.com/

43. Data Tools You Can Use

44. Data Tools You Can Use

45. Data Tools You Can Use
https://data.cityofchicago.org/

46. Data Tools You Can Use

47. Data Tools You Can Use
http://octo.dc.gov/DC/

48. Data Tools You Can Use
http://octo.dc.gov/DC/

49. Data Tools You Can Use

50. Data Tools You Can Use

51. Data Tools You Can Use

52. Questions for Fernando