2016 - Spring

Advanced Reporting: Political Reporting and Data Journalism

Course Number: JOUR-UA 301.002

Day & Time: Mon 10:00am-1:40pm

Location: 20 Cooper, 750

Instructor: Meredith Broussard

Prerequisites: Foundations, The Beat

This is the Capstone course. Subject matter varies from section to section, but the basic skeleton of the course is the same across sections: the emphasis is on development of the ability to produce writing and reporting within a sophisticated longform story structure. The course involves query writing, topic research and reading, interviewing, and repeated drafts and rewrites, leading to a full-length piece of writing aimed at a publishable level and the ability of the student to present the reporting orally.

—

This is the Capstone course. Subject matter varies from section to section, but the basic skeleton of the course is the same across sections: the emphasis is on development of the ability to produce writing and reporting within a sophisticated longform story structure. The course involves query writing, topic research and reading, interviewing, and repeated drafts and rewrites, leading to a full-length piece of writing aimed at a publishable level and the ability of the student to present the reporting orally.

Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight pioneered the idea that data could enhance political reporting. With the 2016 presidential election nearing, we ask the question: how can student journalists use data journalism tools to cover politics in new, exciting, and relevant ways?

In this class, students will learn the fundamentals of reporting with data and will learn how to find stories in numbers. Some enthusiasm for politics, technology, or news innovation is helpful. The final reported project will be a longform piece that incorporates data analysis.