Investigative reporting

It can be done in high school

GSSPA

Who is an investigative reporter?

• All news reporters should be, or at least could be.

• There is nothing magical about it.

• It takes intense curiosity.

• It takes a little skepticism.

• A little bit of outrage.

• Add a lot of luck. And you have…

Investigative reporting!Investigative reporting!

• Definition: The reporting, through one’s own initiative and work product, of matters of importance to readers, viewers or listeners. In many cases, the subjects of the reporting wish the matters under scrutiny to remain undisclosed.”

But it’s more than that. Really.

• It also includes stories that might get missed because they involve a little digging.

• Also, it includes enterprise reporting.

A lot of it involves records

• Public records.

• News records.

• Court records.

• Board of Ed records.

Tips

• Sometimes someone will tip you about something going on.

Tips

• And it could be a good tip.

Other times

• No one will talk.

Some ideas for digging

• U.S. Census: http://www.census.gov/– Population of your town and trends– Racial or poverty changes– Neighborhood changes– Health– Justice

Excel is good to know

Investigative reporting

• Tuition costs of five most popular colleges where your classmates go.

• Health problems of students (without embarrassing one student with a problem)– Depression (stats) and professional

interviews– Anorexia; special needs; etc.

Budgets

• Compare budgets to competing schools.

• How much did each spend on books? Extra curriculars? Teachers’ salaries?

Board of Ed

• Go to meetings (see board site for details).

Ask for salaries

• Superintendent, principal should all be there.

• OPRA them.

• It’s all public information.

Open Public Records Act

• All records, with some exceptions, are open to the public, including high school students.

• Record keeper (school board secretary, municipal clerk) has 7 business days to respond.

• Describe your record carefully.

Seek help

• Foundation for Open Government (http:www.njfog.org)

• Investigative Reporters and Editors (http://www.ire.org)

• Society of Professional Journalists (http:www.spj.org)

• Student Press Law Center (http://www.splc.org)

Word of mouth

• Talk to people in the cafeteria.

• Find people in large clubs (band, major teams, etc.)

• Engage teachers, aides, staff in conversation.

What does your school buy?

• Food

• Maintenance

• Construction

• Supplies

• Books

School violence

• Discipline problems: what’s the policy?• Is there is a written policy?• Is discipline ad hoc and therefore

unpredictable?Are certain racial or ethnic groups singled out?

• Are there drugs or alcohol in school?• Sexual harassment?

Student retention

• Are failing students elevated to the next grade?

• What is the dropout rate?

Are teachers competent?

• Some teachers need to be recertified. How many are?

• What colleges have teachers attended?– List them in clusters– Find stories among the most common

colleges — and the least common.

Instructional materials

• Who picks the books? What are the standards?

• Who hires internet companies; what are the criteria?

• What are the standards for buying computers? How are they equipped?

• How can students get out of lower tracks?

Special needs students

• About 1 out of 10 receives at least some support nationally.

• Are special needs students segregated or mainstreamed?

• Are special needs terms being abused to get more funding? Are more students being tossed into the category?

Non-teaching employees

• Who are they? What do they do?• Bus drivers driving unsafe buses?• Is the building safe? Asbestos in the

ceiling? Broken windows?• Is your school a fire trap?• How many are home-schooled, and

what happens to them when they turn 18?

The big picture

• Try to understand the most important problems your school has; look into them. No one else will.

• Look at everything: money, faculty, student backgrounds.

• Find a common picture; then write your story.

Basic writing rules

• Talk to people; don’t lecture them.

• Stay outraged.

• Put people into your story.

• Use a lot of graphics.

• Don’t bore the reader.

• Avoid stereotypes.

• Use an outline, a chronology or both.

Have fun

But be responsible