Pitching & Investigating JRN275 Quinnipiac University Fall 2017 Dr. Molly Yanity
From Gaines, Ch. 2 Types of documents Access to documents Database searches Validating through cross-reference Attribution
Documents Document: information that is preserved Paper Electronic Medium makes no difference
Documents Public documents Published Information Biographies, trade magazines, news releases, scientific articles Operational Public Records Meeting minutes, budgets, contracts, payrolls, elections Disclosure Records Licenses, lawsuits, inspections reports, political contributions, SEC filings
Operational vs. Disclosure Documents Operational vs. Disclosure Operational documents arise from public organizations conducting regular business Disclosure documents release some private information to the public in exchange for public services See Gaines Page 27
Documents Public documents Publicly owned, government documents are accessible to anyone, under certain parameters defined by law* *Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request may be needed
Documents Private Documents Personal letters, bank statements, school papers, medical records, journals, diaries, other correspondence
Documents Private Documents Information from private documents may be used only with permission of the owner
Public Document Access Operational records are accessible through state and federal Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) laws Disclosure records are not covered under FOIA because they should already be readily available under other laws (examples: disclosure laws, open-meeting rules for lawmakers
FOIA Requests Review three examples on pages 31-33
Database searches Internet (with caution) Public Library documents (microfilm) Periodical guides and indices
Get Ready To Research! Define your topic/issue Research background Articles, books, Internet, personal contacts Assess, validate the data Write the story (or facts) Cite sources
Questions?