take notes 1 j421 - week © j.t.johnson 1999 ________________________________fall 2004 notes return...

1 J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes

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J421: Analytic JournalismFall ‘04

“We can teach you to write, but you first need to have something worthwhile to say.”

Prof. J. T. Johnson

San Francisco State University

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


First things first…

Weekly assignment: Write an approx. 300-word news story at the end of every class about that class session.SLUG: J421WkTK-???DEADLINE: Hard copy and digital file submitted by 9:45 p.m.

Need to have pre-reqs?Going over handouts


Description of course

Primary question for journalists:What do we know and how do we know it?

For journalists, implies issues of High quality research Skills and methods of analysis Skills and methods of measuring change


Why do we need these skills?

ElectionsFEC contribution data www.politicalmoneyline.com Login: tomjohnson Pswd: sfsuj421USA Today election results and story

Who are we? DemographicsCensus 2000: Poverty

What’s happening with the environment?

Is the government doing its job?Baltimore’s CityStatsPublic Budgets


Analytic Journalism ExamplesNYT Priest Study (in Yahoo)

Readings\Goldstein-NYT-PriestScandalStory.rtf

NYT Priest Study methodsReadings\Barbanel-NYT-PriestScandalMethodology.rtf

Bill Dedman’s Campaign Contribution “Hedging” story

Boston Globe: “Speed Trap”Orange County Bus ServiceDoig’s Hurricane Andrew


USAToday


Orange County, California Bus Study

Orange County, California

Bus Study


Weather-Hurricane Andrew

Weather - Hurricane Andrew


Digital Tools

Without the tools, new knowledge cannot be found

Early microbiologists


Description of course

Basic – very basic -- introduction to more sophisticated ways of knowing than the mere 5Ws and H.

Broaden your perspective regarding tools used by the best and the brightest journalists today.

Lay foundation for you to engage in life-long learning.


Description of course: Objectives Understanding of online search and

retrieval methods and relevant toolsKnowledge of journalism listservs and

organizations used in contemporary journalism

Recognition of a variety of databases and file and data types applicable in contemporary journalism research, reporting, analysis and writing.


Description of course: Objectives

Applicable knowledge of data/information management tools, spreadsheets, databases and GIS programs and tools and how they are used to, first, understand various phenomena and, second, to tell stories

An elementary knowledge of statistical analysis and how to communicate the results of that analysis


How it will operate

Four sub-sections of content Research tools and methods Spreadsheets and elementary statistical

analysis Possibly some data base work JAGIS (Journalism and GIS)

Many assignments memos, sometimes stories

Stories at the end of each class


How it will operate

Possible quizzes (via Blackboard) on current events and readings

No more paper after todayComputers? E-mail? (No AOL)Broadband? Get it!Must always start early bcs of

potential problems


Must have applications

MS Office (Not Works) A cheap one-year license available via the SFSU bookstore

WordExcelPowerPointOutlook (or some similar mail-handling

program, e.g. Eudora)Internet Explorer 6.0 Adobe AcrobatWinRAR (www.rarlabs.com) or WinZIP


Interesting Journalism Topics/sites

Issues? Poynter Institute

http://www.poynter.org/default.asp API

http://americanpressinstitute.org/news.cfm?id=5

IREhttp://www.ire.org/

CJRhttp://www.cjr.org/

SPJhttp://www.spj.org/


Interesting Journalism Topics/sites

Themes Money and politics

http://www.politicalmoneyline.com/http://www.fecinfo.com/

Money and governmentCity of St. Petersburg budgetSF Budget Analyst SF Budgets

Any sunshine?Sunshine Ordinance Task Force


Course Rationale

What journalism was See/subscribe current

Columbia Journalism Review & Editor&Publisher & American Journalism Review

The information environment has changed Shift from “Wetware” and I-o-P storage to

also digital storage -- how we practice journalism must also change.

Traditional, symbolic literacy no longer sufficient

Requires new skills of data retrieval, technology and presentation


New info. tools

Internet (not just “www”) info mgmt to desktop

SpreadsheetsDatabasesMapping

http://sfgov.org/site/gis_index.asp SF Prospector


Analytic thinking/journalism

What is it?Where did it come from?How does it work?What are the necessary variables?

Frame the appropriate question Find and retrieve appropriate data Use appropriate analytic tools Show what you know with story-

appropriate media


What journalists do:

Not an orderly, serial [i.e. step-by-step] progression.

RRAW-P process Research Reporting Analysis Writing Publishing-Producing-Packaging


Intellectual multi-tasking

Applications Mail handlers Sophisticated use of browsers MS Word Excel Possible GIS applications Sites to “learn” applications

http://www.sfsu.edu/infotech.htmhttp://www.pcshowandtell.com/http://www.elementk.com/


Getting Help

SFSU Computing Support center Using E-mail

Learn how to set up “mail forwarding” from SFSU account.

Or, best yet, register your own domain


Digital Skills

Managing YOUR information Handling e-mail

Outlook, Eudora or Netscape Mail No AOL, Hotmail, Yahoo! E-mail accounts

Use BU or other “professional” ISP – AT&T, RCN, Register your own domain www.namesecure.com

Correct SUBJECT: line vital (see syllabus) Organize in folders Calendars To-do lists Ticklers Varied assignment deadlines


How the course operates (print this)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SFSU-J421/

SyllabusClass calendarSemester projectSubscribe

New York Times SF Chronicle


The New Infosphere extends the Old

Most canons of journalism stand fast (Though there are some new issues for ethics and law)

The challenge today is not the old, but the addition of the new


Journalists, et al., in Infosphere

Changing Infosphere:

MetabolismLatent EnergyIn

EnergyOut

DataIn Analysis Info

Out

Species in Biosphere:


Basic Information Theory =Process of Journalism

Data In

InfoOut

InterviewsText docsClipsPicturesInfographics

AnalysisThis is a headline DATELINE -- And the traditional text story starts here and goes on and on and on.


Communications Revolution?

1st Era =

2nd Era = Symbols Print Paper Ink Writing


“100% de la Población SufreProblemas de Salud Mental”


Challenge of Digital Revolution

100% de la Poblacion SufreProblemas de Salud Mental

010100100100100110101101101011101010101010101010010101010101010100111010


Communications Revolution?

1st Era =

2nd Era = Symbols Print Paper Ink Writing

3rd Era = 101010101101010101000100101


I-o-P vs.. Digital Environment

Traditional Data In Interviews Text docs Clips Pictures Infographics

100% of story


I-o-P vs. Digital Environment

Digital DATA IN Interviews Text docs Scholarly articles Archival content Pictures Infographics Sound/Video Dynamic maps Database publshg

Ink-on-paper = <50% of storyDigital data = >50% of story


Changing InfosphereAs storage medium changes from I-o-P to

1's and 0's…...we need functional technology

between the data/info and our brain.Requires new awareness/skills for

RRAW-P (Research, Reporting, Analysis, Writing-Packaging model)

Adopt new literacy to survive as old-style hunters-and-gathers and new era interpreters and explainers.


Classic Journalism Information Environment

I-o-P storage, analysis and communication

Linear intake of data as TEXTPrimitive analytic toolsOnly literary skills needed and highly

regarded100% of our work qualitative -- text

or static images


Classic Journalism Information Environment

I-o-P storage, analysis and communicationLinear intake of data as TEXTPrimitive analytic toolsOnly literary skills needed and highly regarded100% of our work was qualitative: text or

static images

Journalism: The first refuge of

the mathematically phobic!

take notes 1 j421 - week © j.t.johnson 1999 ________________________________fall 2004 notes return...

Documents

data base workjagis

methods of analysisskills

retrieval methods

new knowledge

brightest journalists

data types applicable

variety of databases

classtake noteshow