1 / 16

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

Using the Computer Assisted Reporting Class as a Means of Civic Engagement. Tony DeMars and Qun Chen Sam Houston State University. Computer-Assisted Reporting.

arkadiy-popov
Download Presentation

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

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Using the Computer Assisted Reporting Class as a Means of Civic Engagement Tony DeMars and Qun Chen Sam Houston State University

  2. 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

  3. 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)

  4. Leading in C.A.R. • Missouri School of Journalism • NICAR – National Institute for Computer Assisted Reporting • IRE – Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc. -

  5. 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 -

  6. 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

  7. 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?

  8. 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…

  9. 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

  10. 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?

  11. 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.

  12. 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

  13. 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?

  14. Some Podcast Websites • http://www.podcastalley.com : monthly rank of podcasts • http://audio.weblogs.com • http://ping.ipodder.org • http://www.podcastingnews.com/

  15. 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?

  16. 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?

More Related