Using the Computer Assisted Reporting Class as a Means of Civic Engagement

Tony DeMars andQun ChenSam Houston State University

Computer-Assisted Reporting Computer-assisted reporting is the process of

downloading databases and analyzing data… allows critical thinking through thoughtful online research that can provide context and depth to daily stories.

Essentially began in 1967 when Philip Meyer, Detroit Free Press, used a mainframe to analyze a survey of Detroit residents

Became more common by the mid-1980s

Basic Computer-assisted Reporting Skills Using online resources: e-mail, discussion

groups, listservs, database libraries Using spreadsheet software (Excel) Using database manager (Microsoft Access) Using statistical software (SPSS or SAS) Using GIS, or mapping software Using social networking software (new)

Leading in C.A.R. Missouri School of Journalism

NICAR – National Institute for Computer Assisted Reporting

IRE – Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc. -

What Computer Assisted Reporting is Not… Journalists at the computer surfing the web Journalists blogging Text messaging or e-mail communication Writing and editing using a computer -

So how does it fit convergence and reaching citizen journalists? “Computer-assisted reporting is at the heart of public

service journalism” –Brant Houston Discussion groups increasingly upload public

databases Organize and analyze databases of blogs and

podcasts? (estimated over 4 million blogs) Organize and analyze work of citizen journalists Including this as part of your new data to analyze

Large programs vs. small Thorough, traditional CAR class Overview of specifics of CAR followed by

new approaches in multimedia as part of convergence

Question: Is this one of the courses that can be part of a convergence curriculum?

Moblogging We know what blogging is… Moblog is a blend of the words mobile and

weblog. A mobile weblog, or moblog, consists of content posted to the Internet from a mobile or portable device, such as a cellular phone or PDA.

As some of us did last year in Columbia…

Reasons for Moblogging Popularity of picture and video cell phone. A way for journalists to communicate with

the newsroom A publishing tool for journalists to

communicate with the public and audiences A tool to do research for story ideas A tool for students to complete projects and

publish their final audio/video stories

What can we do with Blogs and Moblogs? Should CAR classes learn to analyze blog and

moblog sites? Should CAR classes create blogs and

moblogs? How can we engage disenfranchised citizens

through teaching and using moblogs?

Podcasting The audio version of blogging through the

low-cost iPodder technology that allows anyone to turn the audio content into MP3 files that can be easily downloaded onto an iPod or other portable MP3 player.

iPod sales More than 22 million Americans 18 and older

have iPods or MP3 players. Users can choose from thousands of podcasts,

from novices and from professionals Noted at this morning’s Podcast Training

session that Google hits for “podcasts” was 24 in September 2004; September 2005 it was over 61 million

Functions of Podcasting As an audio blog tool for broadcast and

convergence journalists, average citizens and students to post their own works

As an online resource for research What else can we imagine?

Some Podcast Websites http://www.podcastalley.com : monthly rank

of podcasts http://audio.weblogs.com http://ping.ipodder.org http://www.podcastingnews.com/

What can we do with Podcasts? Should CAR classes learn to analyze podcast

sites? Should CAR classes create podcasts? How can we engage disenfranchised citizens

through teaching and using podcasts?

So now what? Debate about teaching convergence Issues of technology allowing ‘citizen

journalists’ Issues of giving a voice to a wide range of

society vs. convergence to save corporations money

Can the CAR class be one of the tools in a converged curriculum?