1. JOUR 5206: Reporting Methods
Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press David McKie, CBC

2. Course syllabus

3. JOUR 5206: Goals
1) Obtain a thorough grounding in journalistic research methods. 2) Acquire skills needed to make sense of the information gathered. 3) Develop the ability to shape the information into accurate and compelling stories. In short: become a critical thinker

4. Textbook

5. Optional textbook 1

6. OPTIONAL TEXTBOOK 2

7. Readings
* Assigned readings are listed on the syllabus for relevant weeks * With the obvious exception of this week, please read chapters before class to help prepare

8. Assignments
* Four assignments, each worth 20 per cent of overall grade * Assignments involving a city budget, access-to- information requests, data and historical perspective * Final 20 per cent of grade based on presence, punctuality, participation and professionalism, including quiz results

9. Elements of evaluation
With the exception of the access-to-information exercise, each assignment has three components, all of which will figure in the grade: A. Copies of the actual documents compiled / gathered B. A description of how the documents were obtained, and why they were useful C. The resulting story or visualization Please use Canadian Press style

10. GRADInG
As in the fall boot camp, you will be graded on all elements of your work, not just the amount of effort you put into an assignment
That means originality, newsworthiness, readability, clarity, accuracy and whether you followed the directions will figure in your grade

11. The “good story” test
* If your story or visual representation reads easily, chances are it is A-level work * If we must read your story two or three times or puzzle over your visualization to make sense of it, chances are it is B- or C-level work at best * Tip: have a friend read your story to gauge flow and readability, and to see if there are obvious holes

12. Time management
* We are giving you as much time as the short term will allow to complete your work * However, in order to succeed in this course you must work progressively at each assignment, sometimes tending to two or even three in the same week * This is good practice for the newsroom, where work on different stories often overlaps

13. OUTLINES / Drafts
We require brief outlines of your stories. See the syllabus for due dates.
The idea is to ensure your story is on the right track.
For each story or visualization, we will tell you what must be included in the outline.
If you do not submit an outline, we reserve the right to deduct half a grade when marking the story.
Fuller drafts of your work are welcome, but must be submitted at least four days before the final deadline.

14. What we expect Think of class as news meeting Regular attendance
Inform us in advance if you cannot attend
Punctuality
Participation
Breaks only during break time
No phones or social media in class unless part of a lesson
Laptops are welcome but only for taking notes and following along with the lesson
Please help us learn your names

15. Contacting us
Contact information on syllabus: click on our names
is best
Please avoid contacting us late in the afternoon on weekdays
Virtual office hours: Wednesdays 11 a.m. to noon, we will be available for phone calls
Other calls / meetings: by appointment

16. s
* Please try to use your Carleton account for all correspondence with us * cc: the other instructor * Please acknowledge our replies to your questions and comments. It lets us know you received our message.

17. Apprenticeships * No more than one week of class time
* If two weeks, one week must be a break week
* Please inform us in advance

18. The story process The idea Research Questions Interviews Sorting
What is the story?
What will help tell the story?
Flow
Fairness
Accuracy