Investigative

Reporting (CCJN 3365)

Spring 2017
3:30-6:20 pm Tuesday / Umphrey Lee 278
If you have information, they cant lie to you. Government cant lie to
you. and the importance of getting people information in a democracy is
what its all about. And my father growing up in Europe saw all that. The
creeping Nazism and how people just blindly embraced what
demagogues and horrible people were telling them. And he didnt want
that to happen in his country. He studied it. He moved here because he
loved it. And he passed that on to me.
-- Walt Bogdanich, winner of three Pulitzer Prizes
I just started knocking on doors. Some people closed their doors in my
face, and others definitely did not tell me the truth. But many were
relievedthey were done keeping the story bottled up inside.
-- Sara Ganim, 24, winner of a 2012 Pulitzer for breaking the Sandusky scandal at Penn State

Instructors: Jake Batsell

Office: #282C, Umphrey Lee
Phone: (214) 529-2978

Email: jbatsell@smu.edu
Office Hours: Noon-2 p.m., T/TH

Byron Harris
#274, Umphrey Lee
(214) 205-3477
wfaa1974@gmail.com
1:30-3:30 p.m., Tuesdays

Course blog: http://j3365.tumblr.com

Twitter hashtag: #j3365

Course Objectives and Requirements:

The purpose of this course is to teach you how to do stories that can make a difference.
You will learn this by doing investigative reporting, by demonstrating knowledge
regarding some of the worlds best investigative reporters, and by hearing directly from
professional investigative journalists.
Students will show they possess the skills needed to produce quality
investigative stories for multiple platforms. To meet this objective, you must
produce two drafts of an enterprise story that is solidly researched and wellwritten, while also empowering the audience to experience the story in
multimedia formats. We also will undertake a class investigative project.
Students will demonstrate knowledge regarding noteworthy investigative
reporters from the past and present. To meet this objective, you must be
prepared at each class to discuss the work of these reporters and their impact.
Students will demonstrate competence in data-driven and social media reporting
methods using online tools such as Google Fusion Tables and Twitter.

Course description: You will learn how to find an investigative story, report it, write it,
and empower your readers to dig even deeper by using online tools. This is the technical
or how-to part of this course.

This course also will acquaint you with some of the worlds best investigative reporters.
While they come from diverse backgrounds, they came to their calling by an inexorable
drive to find and reveal the truth. In addition to assigned readings from the textbook
and other sources, you will keep your finger on the pulse of the best investigative
journalism produced worldwide this semester by regularly monitoring the Twitter
hashtag #muckreads and the Extra! Extra! blog maintained by Investigative Reporters
and Editors (IRE). These elements are the content part of this course. When youre on
the Hot Seat, youll be quizzed in front of the class about a current story. These
sessions will be once per meeting, starting with the third class. Youll also be called on to
present a profile of an investigative journalist, which will be assigned by the instructors.
An essential part of investigative reporting cannot be taughtpassion for your subject.
This is entirely up to you. If you dont care about something, we strongly suggest you get
out of this course. By the same token, if you are interested in preserving the status quo,
this course has nothing to offer you. By its very nature, investigative reporting involves
challenging the status quo on behalf of the little guycomforting the afflicted and
afflicting the comfortable. It is not about attending meetings or covering speeches. It is
about doing the story that no one else will do.
Required Texts:
* Muckraking! The Journalism that Changed America, Judith & William Serrin, editors.
* Online readings will be specified on the course blog.
Required Online Accounts:
* Twitter (public), Google Drive.
JOURNALISM DIVISION POLICY ON GRADING AND ATTENDANCE:

Grading standards for all media projects

Every news story and package will be graded on content: is it fair, is it newsworthy, is it
well sourced? Is the story organized, are all questions answered, and is all relevant
information properly attributed? Is the story neutral, showing all sides of the issue?

How to earn an "F" on any media project
Miss a deadline. Misquote or misrepresent someone. Rewrite or submit a story that was
produced for another class, media outlet, or for any other reason other than this class.

Plagiarism and Fabrication

Plagiarism is stealing someone's words or ideas and passing them off as your own.
Fabrication is making stuff up. Both strike at the heart of the journalistic process, where
proper attribution and fact checking are paramount. We will deal with plagiarism and
fabrication in the harshest manner possible, including referral to the honors council.

Attendance
Roll will be taken every day. Any student who misses the first day of class will be
dropped. More than three unexcused absences and you could be dropped from the
course or receive an F. You are responsible for contacting your teacher within 24
hours of an absence. An absence will be considered unexcused unless you are able to
provide a doctor's note or some other good reason why you were not in class. Absences
will be factored into the in-class portion of your grade and will lower your final grade.

Excused absences / extracurricular activities

If you are participating in an officially sanctioned, scheduled university extracurricular
activity, you will be given the opportunity to make up class assignments. It is your
responsibility to make arrangements with your teacher prior to any missed assignment.
(See University Undergraduate Catalogue.)
The SMU Health Centers policy on excused absences is found at
https://www.smu.edu/StudentAffairs/HealthCenter/FrontDesk/ClassExcusePolicy.
Please note that there is a PDF file in this information that you can download and
submit to us for consideration of an excused absence. This form must be filled out fully
for me to consider your absence as excused. If you consult a physician for an illness and
receive specific certification for a recovery time, absences will be excused if you provide
a form from the physicians office.
Religious accommodations
If you are a religiously observant students who will be absent on holidays, you must
notify your teacher in writing at the beginning of the semester. You should also discuss
in advance acceptable ways of making up any missed worked. (See University Policy
1.9.)
Disability accommodations
Students needing academic accommodations for a disability must first register with
Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies (DASS). Students can call 214-768-1470
or visit http://www.smu.edu/Provost/ALEC/DASS to begin the process. Once registered,
students should then schedule an appointment with the professor as early in the
semester as possible, present a DASS Accommodation Letter, and make appropriate
arrangements. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive and require
advance notice to implement.

Campus carry law

In accordance with Texas Senate Bill 11, also known as the campus carry law, SMU
remains a weapons-free campus. Specifically, SMU prohibits possession of weapons
(either openly or in a concealed manner) on campus. For more information, please see:
http://www.smu.edu/BusinessFinance/Police/Weapons_Policy.

Library resources
Megan Heuer is the librarian assigned to assist journalism students in their research.
You can find help online at guides.smu.edu/journalism. Email Megan at
mheuer@smu.edu. To set up a one-on-one appointment for help:
libcal.smu.edu/appointment/12037.

JOURNALISM DIVISION POLICY ON PROFESSIONAL REPORTING STANDARDS:

Reporting and Sourcing

You are required in all cases to fully disclose your identity and purpose to sources, and
any promises of anonymity or other special arrangements with sources must be
discussed with your instructor before such agreements are made. Under no
circumstances should you grant a source the right to review or approve your story
(though you may agree to check quotes for accuracy).

You must always tell all of your sources that the story you are reporting could be
published or aired on multiple platforms. Your work could appear on news sites both on
and off campus. Your stories, in other words, are for public consumption and your
sources must know that. Friends, family, and colleagues are not acceptable sources.

A special note: This policy provides academic guidance to students regarding work in Journalism
classes and is not in any way intended to impose a legal standard of care for student journalists.

Grants of Anonymity*
Students should avoid using unidentified sources whenever possible. There are times,
however, when the only way to get a story is to offer anonymity; such offers should be a
last resort after repeated attempts to go on the record have failed and the student has
received permission from the instructor.

Information may be on the record, on background, not for attribution or off the record.
These are prearranged agreements between a reporter and a source, which govern how
specific information can be used. These deals must be agreed to beforehand, never
after. A source can't say something then claim it was "off the record." That's too late.
Most sources do not understand what these terms mean. If a source requests some
degree of anonymity, the journalist should make sure the terms are clear, as follows:

On the Record
Anything the source says can be reported, published, or aired. All conversations are
assumed to be on the record unless the source expressly requests -- and the reporter
explicitly agrees -- to go off the record beforehand. The reporter should be sure to mark
notes clearly so it's possible to see what's on the record and what is not at a later date.
Never rely on memory and always try to get back "on the record" as quickly as possible.

On Background
This means you may use what the source gives you without using the source's name. In
effect it confers anonymity on your source, but allows you to work with the information
the source has provided.
Not for Attribution
This means that a reporter agrees not to identify a source by name. Identification is
provided only by reference to the source's job or position. That identification must be
agreed upon by the reporter and the source, and is almost always given in a way that
prevents readers from discovering the source's specific identity. The reporter should
make sure the attribution is accurate and should press the source to allow the
attribution to be as specific as possible. For example, a reporter would want to attribute
information to "a high-ranking official in the Justice Department," rather than "a highranking law enforcement official," if the source agrees beforehand.

Off the Record

You may not use the information unless you can confirm it with another source who
doesn't insist on speaking off the record. The information is offered to explain or further
a reporter's understanding of a particular issue or event. In general, it is best to avoid off
the record conversations; another option might be to converse off the record and then
try to convince the source to agree to waive the agreement.
*with thanks to the NYU Journalism Handbook for Students

Deadlines: Cast in stone. If you fail to meet a deadline, you will get one letter grade off
for each day the assignment is late. After four days, an automatic F. Absences must be
excused in advance.

Grading: Based on a profile and oral presentation, Hot Seat performance, an

individual investigative story, a class project, a final exam, and overall participation.
Profile of a Dirty Dozen investigative journalist

10%

Hot Seat performance

10%

Class Participation
(Includes attendance, readings, homework, guest speakers)

20%

Individual Investigative Story

(Draft 1=10%; Draft 2=15%)

25%

Team Investigation

20%

Final Exam

15%

The investigative reporter you profile will be assigned. For the investigative story, you will come
up with your own idea and will submit a first and a second draft. The team project will be
developed throughout the semester and potentially may be published on the Byrons Lens
portal on WFAA.com. The final exam will entail analyzing and critiquing an investigative story.

Grading Scale:

93-100=A
90-93=A-
87-89=B+
83-86=B

80-82=B-
77-79=C+
73-76=C
70-72=C-

67-69=D+
63-66=D
60-62=DBelow 60=F

Additional grading information: As are awarded for truly excellent work. Very good
work receives a B; average work a C; below average a D. We will be happy to discuss
your work with you. A formal process is available to protest a grade.
Sourcing: You must provide attribution for the information in your story so we know
where you got it. To help us fact-check stories, you must turn in a list with each sources
name and phone number (or email address). You are required to cite at least five
hyperlinks in your stories, at least two of which must be primary documents.
Class participation grade: Your grade will be based on these areas: Do you come to class
regularly? Are you on time? Have you read the assigned readings? Do you do a
satisfactory job on the brief written homework assignments? Do you participate in class
discussions? Do you ask questions of guest speakers? During class, do not use
computers to surf the Web, check e-mail or social media for reasons unrelated to class.
If you do, it will lower your participation grade.

KEY DATES INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING, SPRING 2017

(more guest speakers to be announced)

Tuesday, Jan. 31
Class viewing/discussion of Spotlight.
Tuesday, Feb. 7
Hot Seat and Dirty Dozen profiles begin.
Guest speakers: Dave Lieber & Marina Trahan Martinez, Dallas Morning News.
Tuesday, Feb. 14
Guest speaker: Charlotte Huffman of WFAA-TV.
Saturday, Feb. 25
Online News Association Digital Storytelling Workshop
8:30 a.m. 5 p.m., Owen Arts Center

Join ONA Dallas/Fort Worth for a free, day-long workshop highlighting the people,
topics and tools that are driving journalism innovation in the DFW region.

Tuesday, March 7
First drafts of investigative stories due.
Guest speaker: Paul Watler, attorney specializing in media law and libel issues
March 13-17: SPRING BREAK
Tuesday, April 4
ONeil Lecture in Business Journalism, 4 p.m.
Alison Overholt, editor-in-chief of ESPN The Magazine

Tuesday, April 18
Second drafts of investigative stories due.
Tuesday, May 2
Wrap up class investigative project.
Thursday, May 11
Final exam, 3-6 p.m.