Investigative Reporting

Investigative reporters use documents, data, and human sources to tell true stories, hold the powerful accountable, and amplify the voices of the powerless. In this course, students learn the skills and techniques that are essential for impact-driven investigative journalists working in the current market, including how to interview vulnerable and hostile sources, mine the internet, and gather and analyze data to bring information to light. Students learn about their legal rights to access public records under state and federal laws, find and draft out a story, and respond to obstacles and roadblocks by examining examples of impact-driven journalism. By the end of the course, students have reported and completed a story that should be ready for publication.