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Better, deeper Sourcing

Better, deeper Sourcing. FROM THE GRASSROOTS, to the galaxy TO THE group. Finding people. Our Previous reporting (C-) Asking people ‘on the ground’ (“who else?”) Other publications. Considering a fresh perspective will draw you to new voices ( diversity in sourcing = better journalism)

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Better, deeper Sourcing

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  1. Better, deeper Sourcing FROM THE GRASSROOTS, to the galaxy TO THE group

  2. Finding people • Our Previous reporting (C-) • Asking people ‘on the ground’ (“who else?”) • Other publications

  3. Considering a fresh perspective will draw you to new voices (diversity in sourcing= better journalism) • Trade publishing • Noticing ‘gatekeepers’ • Cultivating officialdom

  4. Social media (like twitter & facebook) 29%  2009-2008 • COMMENTS ON NEWS STORIES • Places where people chat on line • Blogs!!

  5. Google scholar (studies)

  6. First hit:

  7. Other experts • Brookings institute • Heritage foundation • lexis-nexis

  8. Finding data, studies and statistics

  9. Vetting sources & Stats • SourceWatch.org (liberal, but…) • politifact • Try googling; weigh the evidence • Understand the numbers • Know qs to ask about polls • Cultivate healthy skepticism

  10. Some sites

  11. Crowdsourcing • The White Paper Version: Crowdsourcing is the act of taking a job traditionally performed by a designated agent (usually an employee) and outsourcing it to an undefined, generally large group of people in the form of an open call.

  12. The Soundbyte Version: The application of Open Source principles to fields outside of software. — Jeff Howe, contributing editor Wired magazine

  13. Examples of crowdsourcing • Asking readers to submit their photos from a news scene (from a house fire, to a festival) • Asking readers to share their knowledge of a situation and/or experience (Pro Publica) • Bringing readers into newsrooms to work as experts on watchdog projects

  14. How The Boston Globe Crowdsourced Its World Cup Coverage • Created an online questionnaire for boston-area readers going to the cup in south africa • Set up a special email address for receiving submissions • Made contact with the best • Explained what kind of material was desired….

  15. Team watchdog: ft myers “The News-Press Watchdog team is supported by our civic journalism project, which calls upon an extensive resource in our community — retired professionals with a cache of expertise. A group of volunteer citizens living in Southwest Florida serve as consultants, research data, work side-by-side with the professional reporting saff and interact with readers.”

  16. How they did it • Decided on retirees with no conflicts • Ran house ads & promos on web site and in the paper • Reporters did background checks; eds did interviews

  17. Did some ‘bonding’ • Held a reception for the 20 people chosen & their partners • Held a workshop to train them in gannett’s ethical standards • Got them together with reporters to brainstorm topics

  18. Sample of accomplishments • A few weeks later, ft myers published its first Team Watchdog story – an A1 lead-centerpiece about the decreasing capabilities of the Florida National Guard. The idea was one that bubbled up in the initial workshop.

  19. A team watchdog member worked with our child welfare reporter on building a database of day-care inspection reports. • Another requested, received and analyzed government documents which led to an exclusive story about how a street-lighting district had so much taxpayer cash on hand it could get by without charging any new taxes. • A watchdog member with experience in school administration consulted on an education-beat story about teachers’ use of “time-out rooms” to discipline disabled students. • A former FBI agent has helped a columnist Tell Mel track down sources and investigate consumer fraud.

  20. Mobile location-based:allow ‘the crowd’ to contribute to a story instantly

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