Description of course - San Francisco State University
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Notes Taking notes Return to slide J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 1 J421: Analytic Journalism Fall ‘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 tom@jtjohnson.com 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 J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 3 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 J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 4 Why do we need these skills? Elections FEC contribution data www.politicalmoneyline.com Login: tomjohnson Pswd: sfsuj421 USA Today election results and story Who are we? Demographics Census 2000: Poverty What’s happening with the environment? Is the government doing its job? Baltimore’s CityStats Public Budgets J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 5 Analytic Journalism Examples NYT Priest Study (in Yahoo) Readings\Goldstein-NYT-PriestScandalStory.rtf NYT Priest Study methods Readings\Barbanel-NYT-PriestScandalMethodology.rtf Bill Dedman’s Campaign Contribution “Hedging” story Boston Globe: “Speed Trap” Orange County Bus Service Doig’s Hurricane Andrew J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 6 USAToday J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 7 Orange County, California Bus Study Orange County, California J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Bus Study Take Notes 8 Weather-Hurricane Andrew Weather Hurricane Andrew J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 9 Digital Tools Early microbiologists Without the tools, new knowledge cannot be found J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 10 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 lifelong learning. J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 11 Description of course: Objectives Understanding of online search and retrieval methods and relevant tools Knowledge 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. J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 12 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 J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 13 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 J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 14 How it will operate Possible quizzes (via Blackboard) on current events and readings No more paper after today Computers? E-mail? (No AOL) Broadband? Get it! Must always start early bcs of potential problems J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 15 Must have applications MS Office (Not Works) A cheap one-year license available via the SFSU bookstore Word Excel PowerPoint Outlook (or some similar mail-handling program, e.g. Eudora) Internet Explorer 6.0 Adobe Acrobat WinRAR (www.rarlabs.com) or WinZIP J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 16 Interesting Journalism Topics/sites Issues? Poynter Institute http://www.poynter.org/default.asp API http://americanpressinstitute.org/news.cfm?id=5 IRE http://www.ire.org/ CJR http://www.cjr.org/ SPJ http://www.spj.org/ J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 17 Interesting Journalism Topics/sites Themes Money and politics http://www.politicalmoneyline.com/ http://www.fecinfo.com/ Money and government City of St. Petersburg budget SF Budget Analyst SF Budgets Any sunshine? Sunshine Ordinance Task Force J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 18 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 J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 19 New info. tools Internet (not just “www”) info mgmt to desktop Spreadsheets Databases Mapping http://sfgov.org/site/gis_index.asp SF Prospector J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 20 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 storyappropriate media J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 21 What journalists do: Not an orderly, serial [i.e. step-by-step] progression. RRAW-P process Research Reporting Analysis Writing Publishing-Producing-Packaging J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 22 Intellectual multi-tasking Applications Mail handlers Sophisticated use of browsers MS Word Excel Possible GIS applications Sites to “learn” applications J421 - Week http://www.sfsu.edu/infotech.htm http://www.pcshowandtell.com/ http://www.elementk.com/ © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 23 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 J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 24 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 J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 25 How the course operates (print this) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SFSUJ421/ Syllabus Class calendar Semester project Subscribe New York Times SF Chronicle J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 26 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 J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 27 Changing Infosphere: Species in Biosphere: Latent Energy Metabolism Energy Out In Journalists, et al., in Infosphere Data In J421 - Week Info Out Analysis © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 28 Basic Information Theory = Process of Journalism Data In Analysis This is a headline Interviews Text docs Clips Pictures Infographics J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall Info Out DATELINE -And the traditional text story starts here and goes on and on and on. 2004 Take Notes 29 Communications Revolution? 1st Era = 2nd Era = Symbols Print Paper Ink Writing J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 30 “100% de la Población Sufre Problemas de Salud Mental” J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 31 Challenge of Digital Revolution 100% de la Poblacion Sufre Problemas de Salud Mental 010100100100100110101101 101011101010101010101010 010101010101010100111010 J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 32 Communications Revolution? 1st Era = 2nd Era = Symbols Print Paper Ink Writing 3rd Era = 101010101101010101000100101 J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 33 I-o-P vs.. Digital Environment Traditional Data In Interviews Text docs Clips Pictures Infographics J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 100% of story 2004 Take Notes 34 I-o-P vs. Digital Environment Digital DATA IN Interviews Text docs Scholarly articles Archival content Pictures Infographics Sound/Video Dynamic maps Database publshg J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall Ink-onpaper = <50% of story Digital data = >50% of story 2004 Take Notes 35 Changing Infosphere As 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. J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 36 Classic Journalism Information Environment I-o-P storage, analysis and communication Linear intake of data as TEXT Primitive analytic tools Only literary skills needed and highly regarded 100% of our work qualitative -- text or static images J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 37 Classic Journalism Information Environment I-o-P storage, analysis and communication Linear intake of data as TEXT Journalism: The first refuge of Primitive analytic tools the mathematically phobic! Only literary skills needed and highly regarded 100% of our work was qualitative: text or static images J421 - Week © J.T.Johnson 1999________________________________Fall 2004 Take Notes 38
