JOUR 5206: Reporting Methods – 2020 Winter term Carleton School of Journalism and Communication

Wednesdays: 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.

Room 4114
Richcraft Hall
1125 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6

David McKie, davidmckiec@gmail.com
Phone: (C) 613-290-7380

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press
Phone: (O) 613-231-8653 (C) 613-859-3752 (fax) 613-238-4452

David, Fred Vallance-Jones, Rob Cribb and Dean Jobb are co-authors of
Digging Deeper Third Edition
David McKie and Jim Bronskill are co-authors of
Your Right To Know: How to Use the Law to
Get Government Secrets

David and Fred are co-authors of
“The Data Journalist: Getting the Story“

Course Objectives

1) Obtain a thorough grounding in journalistic research methods.

2) Acquire skills needed to make sense of the information gathered.

3) Develop the ability to shape the information into accurate and compelling stories for all platforms.

Requests for Academic Accommodation

You may need special arrangements to meet your academic obligations during the term. For an accommodation request, the processes are as follows:

Pregnancy obligation

Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details https://carleton.ca/equity/accommodation/pregnancy-accommodation-form/

Religious obligation

Equity and Diversity

The Journalism School is committed to creating an environment in which all students can thrive in an atmosphere of respect. We also strive to prepare future journalists to cover a diversity of individuals and communities.

We have recently formed a student-led committee to address equity and diversity in the school. The student co-chairs are Gowlene Selvavijayan and Safiyah Marhnouj and the faculty liaison is Prof. Paul Adams. Please contact one of them to get involved, make suggestions or raise issues.

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

If you have a documented disability requiring academic accommodations in this course, please contact the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation or contact your PMC coordinator to send your instructor your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term. You must also contact the centre no later than two weeks before the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable). After requesting accommodation from the centre, meet with your instructor as soon as possible to ensure accommodation arrangements are made. For more: https://carleton.ca/pmc/

Survivors of Sexual Violence

As a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and its survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton’s Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support: https://carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support/

Accommodation for Student Activities

Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experience. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommodation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf

For more information on academic accommodation, please contact the departmental administrator or visit https://students.carleton.ca/course-outline/

Instructions in setting up your campus pin card

Details can be found on the following link – https://carleton.ca/technicalservices/card-access-how-tos/

Textbooks

Digging Deeper 3rd edition is the main textbook for this course. It is available at the Carleton bookstore. Buying the book online is another option. The Data Journalist is an optional textbook, which will come in handy during the weeks when we focus on data. And Your Right To Know, also an optional textbook, will be useful for our access-to-information sessions.

Assignments and Evaluation(TOP)

Assignments in this course are governed by the provisions of the document Ethics and Standards in the School of Journalism and Communication. There are four assignments, each with a deadline. Lateness will be penalized, though exceptional circumstances will be taken into account. There is no final examination. With the exception of the access-to-information assignment, each has three components, all of which will figure in the grade:

Copies of the actual documents compiled / gathered (in paper or electronic form).
A description of how the documents were obtained, and why they were useful.
The resulting story or visualization.

Each of the four assignments is worth 20 per cent of the overall course grade. The remaining 20 per cent of the grade will be determined based on presence / punctuality, participation and professionalism, including quiz results.

Due Dates
1) Dollars and Sense story outline due Mon., Jan. 20, noon.
2) Dollars and Sense story due Sun., Feb. 2, noon.
3) Backstory outline due Mon., Feb. 10, noon.
4) Access-to-information requests must be filed by Sun., Feb. 16.
5) Data visualization outline due Friday., Feb. 28, midnight.
6) Backstory assignment due Sun., March 1, noon.
7) Data visualization due Thursday, March 19, midnight.
8) Access-to-information assignment due Sun., March 29, noon.

Grades (additional information)

The passing grade for this course is a grade of B minus.

Informal questions or appeals about your grade on assignments or other graded components of the course should be raised with the instructor no later than seven business days after the grade has been issued.

For information about the formal Grade Review process, please see the Graduate Regulations: http://calendar.carleton.ca/grad/gradregulations/administrationoftheregulations/#15

Standing in a course is determined by the course instructor subject to the approval of the Faculty Dean. This means that grades submitted by an instructor may be subject to revision. No grades are final until they have been approved by the Dean.

Academic Integrity

This course abides by Carleton University’s Academic Integrity Policy. Acts of academic dishonesty include, but are not restricted to, plagiarism and unauthorized resubmission of work, and will be dealt with accordingly. Plagiarism is a serious offence, which cannot be resolved directly between the student and the course instructor. Penalties are not trivial. They can include a final grade of “F” for the course.

Do not, under any circumstances, present someone else’s work as your own.
Do not download and/or copy any files, stories, photos, audio or video you find online or elsewhere and use them as your own.
Do not fabricate sources of information.
Do not invent facts.

General Regulations, Section 19, of the Graduate Calendar http://calendar.carleton.ca/grad/gradregulations/. If an academic offence is suspected, it will be referred to the Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs.

Ethics and Professional Standards

This is a professional school, and you’ll be held to professional standards in both assignments and conduct. As a student of journalism, you must read and adhere to the School’s policies.

Our ethics policy sets out the rules of behaviour that you, as students and journalists, are expected to follow as you carry out your assignments for this course. One of the rules, for example, makes clear that you must not interview relatives or friends for your story, except in rare and special circumstances and with the advance permission of the instructor.
Our publishing policy requires certain authorizations before journalistic coursework can be published outside of the class. In addition, your sources must understand that any assignments they are associated with may be published outside of class.
Our policy on electronic media usage requires that you follow copyright regulations with respect to your use of all materials culled from the Internet. For example, you cannot use any pictures you find online in your assignments unless you get written permission from the copyright holder to use them and submit it to the instructor.

Graduates can find all three policies here https://carleton.ca/sjc/journalism/graduate-studies/resources-current-students/

You are expected to be familiar with these policies and apply them to your work. Failure to abide by them will adversely affect your standing in the course.

If you have questions about the journalism program, degree requirements, your standing in the program or your academic audit, you should contact your Graduate Administrator Jena Lynde-Smith at JenaLyndesmith@cunet.carleton.ca or Graduate Supervisor Janice Tibbetts at Janice.Tibbetts@carleton.ca

Course Schedule (TOP)

Jan. 8: a. Course introduction b. Elements of storytelling (part one) c. Dollars and Sense (part one)
|| Reading: Digging Deeper, Chapters 1, 2, 9 and Appendix – Finance Facts, 12

Jan. 15: a. Dollars and Sense (part two) b. Assignment: Dollars and Sense story c. Elements of Storytelling (part two)
|| Reading: Digger Deeper, Chapter 10

Jan. 22: a. Introduction to Access to information b. Access-to-information tips: Previously released records c. Assignment: Access to information d. One-on-ones / Research time
|| Reading: Digging Deeper, Chapter 6

Jan. 29: a. Dollars and Sense story due Sun. Feb.2, noon b. Access-to-information tips: Focusing a request, negotiating, seeking partial releases c. Introduction to historical records d. Assignment: Backstory
|| Reading review of chapters covered so far to prepare for the following week’s quiz

Feb. 5: a. Data (part one) b. Quiz based on readings, c. Introduction to historical records (part two) d. One-on-ones / Research time
|| Reading: Digging Deeper: Chapter 11
|| Optional reading: The Data Journalist: Chapters 2, 4

Feb. 12: a. Access-to-information requests must be filed by Sun., Feb. 16 b. Mid-term checkup c. Dollars and Sense story feedback d. Data (part two) e. Assignment: Data visualization
|| Optional reading: The Data Journalist: Chapter 8

Feb. 19: Break Week. No class scheduled.

Feb. 26: a. Backstory assignment due Sun., March 1, noon b. Data (part three) c. One-on-ones / Research time

March 4: a. Access-to-information tips: Making sense of records (decoding documents, chronologies) b. Public records (part one)
|| Reading review: Digging Deeper: Chapter 10

March 11: a. Data visualization due Sun., March 15, noon b. Data (part four) c. Backstory feedback
|| Reading: Digging Deeper: Chapter 4

March 18: a. Access-to-information assignment due Sun., March 22, noon b. Public records (part two)
|| Reading: Digging Deeper, Chapter 8

March 25: a. Data story feedback b. Public records (part three)

April 1: a. Access-to-information feedback b. Quiz based on readings c. Enterprise journalism tactics

Virtual office hours

We are available to discuss course material and assignments with you by email, phone or after class. Our virtual office hours are Wednesday 11 a.m. to noon – please advise David or Jim in advance that you would like to speak with one or both of us.

Dollars and Sense story (TOP)

A news story based on the financial records of a public institution. 600 words, due Sun. Feb. 2, noon. (An outline is due Mon., Jan. 20, noon.)

What is required?

1) A news story about any aspect of the City of Ottawa’s spending as outlined in tables drawn from the municipality’s website.

2) The story MUST come from a calculation you’ve made using the city’s budget.

3) Upload the story to the first of the four categories on the website, ReportingMethods2020_1.

4) At LEAST two interviews: One with an expert; the second with an individual with a direct connection to the specific program or program area at the heart of the story. For instance, the latter could be a community group receiving less money this year compared to the previous year(s). The expert could be a university or college professor.

What’s to be submitted?

1) An emailed, 500-word explanation in a Word document that briefly explains — in point form, even — the steps you took to get the story, the coordinates of your interviewees and the people you attempted to interview.

2) An Excel sheet with your calculations emailed as an attachment. Please ensure that all the tables (possibly from different datasets) are in ONE Excel workbook

3) In addition to uploading the story to the “ReportingMethods2020_1” category on our website, a Word document with your actual story.

4) The uploaded story to the website should have at least two visualizations: a large photograph — column-width — and a the key number(s) displayed in a chart, using a program like Infogram. Please click here to obtain a brief tutorial that explains how to upload your numbers. You MUST also upload your document(s) to DocumentCloud and annotate the appropriate sections, using the tutorial , also located on the syllabus’ “Tutorials” section, as a guide.

Q. What is the context for this assignment?
A. The City of Ottawa’s budget.

Q. How can I tell a story about the budget when it has already passed?
A. You can find stories about the budget that have yet to be told. For instance, a community or service struggling with facing a year with less money from city. Or you could frame it in terms of the pending provincial budget, expected this spring, and how the city’s budget might affect its demands on Queen’s Park.

Q. Can you give me an example?
A. We know from past controversies that the province wants to cut municipal budgets: it’s now a question of how much and how fast? So, will the fact that Ottawa has had to slash services in certain areas, or spend more money in others, mean it will be looking to the province for extra help?

Q. So, this story can be a lookahead, then?
A. Yes. Or a straightforward story about an unreported spending pattern that you’ve uncovered.

Q. What should be in the draft that I submit?
A. I only need a tightly written lead, based on the principles we’ve discussed in class, followed by a point-form description of who you’ve interviewed, the research you’ve conducted, where you see the story heading, and the key numbers you’ll be using, which should be no more than two or three.

Q. How can I write a lead if I haven’t completed my research?
A. Write a lead based on the information at hand. Admittedly, the story may change based on what you discover. However, the exercise of writing early drafts helps sharpens the mind and should keep you focused. For instance, you can write a lead based on a calculation from a key dataset.

Q. So, can I still submit a draft if I haven’t done any interviews?
A. Absolutely! You can craft a lead, and then spell out who you’d like to interview. This step alone will allow for some healthy brainstorming well ahead of your deadline, which should make it easier to find the right voices.

Q. Must the story emerge from the numbers in the budget that I’ve discovered?
A. Yes! However, don’t assume you know the reason behind the increase or decrease until you’ve conducted the research.

Q. What documentation should I use?
A. At the very least, you must upload to DocumentCloud, then annotate the appropriate sections of budget document.

Q. Must I provide a hyperlink to the annotation in my story?
A. Yes. This is a MUST. This allows readers to quickly locate and digest the source of your information from the type of primary records discussed in Digging Deeper.

Q. Will I be deducted marks for neglecting to upload and annotate my documents?
A. Yes.

Q. Will I have to use other records besides those from the city?
A. Perhaps. There may be pertinent information in the last provincial budget, financial update or a financial watchdog report. One of the keys will be using public records discussed in Chapter 4 of Digging Deeper.

Q. What if I have trouble contacting people?
A. To be on the safe side, avoid relying on a limited number of sources. The wider you cast your net, the better. And avoid waiting until the last minute by exercising good time management. Start with the obvious: people affected by the service in question, city politicians on committees responsible for the service; provincial critics from the NDP and Liberal parties; provincial ministers or their parliamentary assistants. What I’m looking for is evidence of shoe-leather reporting; dig into public records for clues of who said what and when.

Q. Can I accept an emailed statement as one of the interviews?
A. Yes, but ONLY if it’s a government official from the city or province, for instance. And only after you’ve pushed for something in-person. If you’re stuck with a statement, be sure to set it up in the story by pointing out that the official in question refused an interview, choosing instead to issue a statement that avoided answering the question. Then, be sure to paraphrase and quote selectively from the statement, if at all. In short, no long, boring, jargon-laden statements that say nothing, but give the appearance of accountability.

Q. Is it important to properly cite the source of my analysis?
A. Absolutely. This is crucial. The key number cited in your lede should be “according to an analysis of the spending table from the City of Ottawa’s 2020 budget.”

Q. Will I lose a mark for neglecting to cite the source of my analysis?
A. Yes, half a grade.

Q. Do I have to publish the story?
A. Initially, make sure it’s in draft format. Once it is marked, and approved for publication, feel free to make the suggested changes, and then publish.

Q. After receiving the green light to publish, can I also offer it to Capital Current?
A. Yes, by all means.

Backstory assignment (TOP)

A story that draws on archival- or library-based sources from at least 40 years ago (1980 or earlier) to provide historical depth on a current Canadian issue or event. 600 words, due Sun., March 1, noon. (An outline is due Mon., Feb. 10, noon.)

Outline checklist

Send your outline (pasted in the body of an email, not a Word document) by Mon., Feb. 10, noon.

It should be no more than 200 words and include:
A few words about the original issue or event from 40 or more years ago.
Why is it timely to revisit this issue or event now? (i.e. what is happening today that makes it worth looking into the backstory?)
What kinds of historical sources do you hope to use in your research (e.g. newspaper archives, parliamentary debates, archival documents, a memoir, photographs)?

Story Checklist

The story must include:

Evidence of first-hand research involving historical records, photographs, news articles, museum artifacts or similar materials.
Comments from someone involved in the original issue or events and-or an expert who is familiar with them and can provide context.
At least one photo or other illustration to accompany the story.
Copies of two pieces of documentation gathered during research for your story (not more than one or two pages apiece).
For EACH of the two pieces of documentation, full-sentence answers to these questions:

(*) What is the documentation?
(*) How did you find/obtain it?
(*) Why was the documentation helpful?

Backstory: Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I hand in my assignment?
A: Upload everything – including documents and answers to the three questions – to the relevant “category” of the syllabus (ReportingMethods2020_2). Save it as a draft. It doesn’t matter what format you choose, but most supporting material should be in PDF, .jpeg or Word format. You can also use DocumentCloud to upload pages of your records to the syllabus.

Q: Can I write about non-Canadian events?
A: No.

Q: Does my topic have to be a national issue?
A: No, it could be a provincial or local one.

Q: Can I just revisit any interesting episode from the past?
A: No, there has to be a reason you’re writing about this subject – a clear and substantial connection to something happening today. For instance, given the dawn of light-rail transit in Ottawa, you could look at Ottawa’s first streetcar system. (DON’T DO THIS ACTUAL TOPIC.)

Q: I am writing about events that took place 100 years ago and everyone involved is dead. Will that work?
A: Yes, that’s fine, and it’s why I have made it optional to interview someone involved in the original events. But perhaps you will find a diary entry or autobiography quotation that will help bring a deceased person’s voice into the story. And if your story involves events from 50 or even 60 years ago, I would hope you could track someone down from the era to interview.

Q: What sort of documentation do you want?
A: It could be almost anything that helped you do the story: a photo of a relevant page from a memoir, a page from an archive, a Canada 411 entry that helped you find someone to interview, an excerpt from an interview transcript – the choice is yours.

Q: Could my illustration(s) accompanying the piece double as my documentation?
A: Quite possibly, if they helped you do the story. Be sure you have permission to post the photos or other illustrations from the rights holder or creator.

Data visualization (TOP)

A digital visualization that tells a story based on analysis of data, due midnight on Thursday March 19. (An outline is due Fri., Feb. 28, midnight.)

What is required for emailed draft visualizations?

1. The dataset(s) you want to use in an Excel workbook that contains three tabs: the original dataset with the URL pasted into the first available cell in the first row; two subsequent worksheets with the filtered datasets that will be visualized.

2. A brief, point-form explanation of why the data tables are newsworthy.

3. At least two public records to support the visualization uploaded to DocumentCloud and annotated.

What is required for the approved visualizations?

1. Two newsworthy visualizations displaying two different trends from your dataset. For instance, one could be the kind of vertical bar chart you used for the Dollars and Sense assignment; the second could be an infographic.

2. The visualizations must be newsworthy. For instance, a Statistics Canada table that has recently been published and mined for new information that adds value to what we already know. In the case of unemployment statistics, we compared the unemployment numbers for young men and women between the ages of 15 and 24. Ideally, these numbers should be used in stand-alone, value-added visualizations that can be shared on social media as a way to bring eyeballs back to the original story.

3. You must use up to 100 words to set up each visualization, using AT LEAST three of the kinds of public records described in chapter 4 of Digging Deeper for contextual background information.

4. The public records MUST be uploaded to DocumentCloud with the appropriate annotations

5. Upload the visualizations and explanations to the “ReportingMethods2020_3” category

What’s to be submitted?

1. Two DIFFERENT visualizations in ONE blog post, each depiction accompanied by a 100-word explanation that explains the news value. The one blog post containing the visualizations must be uploaded to the category “ReportingMethods2020_3”

2. A 500-word explanation in a Word document that briefly explains why you chose the visualizations, their news value, and the public records you used to provide context.

3. In your explanations used to set up the visualizations, there must be links to be AT LEAST three different public records uploaded to DocumentCloud. The links MUST take readers to the appropriate annotations in the public record. You can use the SAME record for each visualization.

4. The Excel workbook that contains four worksheets: worksheet one – the original table with the URL pasted into the first available cell in the first row; worksheet two – the working copy; worksheet three – the filtered and cleaned-up table used to provide the first visualization; worksheet four – the cleaned-up table used to provide the second visualization. Only provide ONE workbook, even if you are using two different tables. The visualization does not have emerge from a pivot table. It can also be from regular table that is filtered and sorted.

Data visualization frequently asked questions

Q: Can I choose any dataset?
A: You have a fair degree of flexibility, but be sure to link the visualizations to an event making news.

Q. Can I choose a dataset we’ve used as an example in class?
A: No.

Q. Can the graph be a jpg or png file?
A: No, it must be embedded, allowing for a level of reader engagement?

Q: Does the topic have to be national, provincial, or municipal?
A: Either one will do, but the safest choice would be a Statistics Canada table.

Q: So, where do I get my datasets?
A: From a federal, provincial or municipal open-data portal. The links are posted on the syllabus.

Q: How current must my data be?
A: As current as possible, meaning that there should not be a lag time of more than two years, otherwise the data may be out of date.

Q: Do I need to ask for more detailed data?
A: You can, but if the dataset has enough detail, then you should be fine.

Q: Can I use two similar visualizations?
A: For the sake of variety, you MUST create two COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ones. For instance, a dataset that contains important numbers may also have geographic information such as longitude and latitude coordinates of names of provinces and cities. In this case, you could upload the numbers from your Excel spreadsheet to Infogram to create bar chart, or plug in three or four key numbers from your analysis and display them as an infographic. In a second visualization, you could then display the geographic coordinates in a program like Tableau which, in addition to the tutorials under week six of the tutorials section, can also be found in this Digging Deeper online tutorial.

Q: Will I lose marks for neglecting to ensure my visualizations have titles, cutlines, and credits for sources?
A: Yes. Half a grade

Q: Will I lose marks for neglecting to upload and annotate my public documents in DocumentCloud? Yes, half a grade.
A: Yes.

Q. Will I lose marks for embedding a graph as a jpg or png file?
A. Yes, half a grade.

Q: How should I use the public records?
A: As background information to provide context or advance the story.

Q: Do I have to interview anyone?
A: No. The point of this assignment is to see how adept you are at choosing information from a publicly available dataset to display, and then consulting public records to add context.

Q: Do I have to run the dataset by you?
A: Yes, that is the point of submitting a draft. The idea is not to micromanage, but ensure that the pitch has all the information you need to create a successful, newsworthy visualization.

Access-to-Information assignment (TOP)

An exercise involving preparation and submission of freedom-of-information requests to all levels of government, due Sun., March 29, noon. (Requests must be filed by Sun., Feb. 16.)

Assignment checklist

Copies of one request to EACH of the three levels of government (municipal, provincial, federal).
Proof of one request for previously released records from the federal government (e.g. an email reply or receipt indicating you have made the request).
Copies of correspondence received/sent by you during the course of each of the four above-noted requests (municipal, provincial, federal, previously released federal records)
A few lines detailing what you have done to track the progress of each of the four requests, including the status of each as of March 22.
Copies of at least two – but not more than five – particularly relevant pages of information from a previously released set of records from any ONE level of government.
For the pages in (#5) above, full-sentence answers to these questions:
(*) What is the information?
(*) From which government and department did these pages come?
(*) How would these records be helpful in researching or writing a story? Please try to highlight relevant facts or passages in the records.

Access-to-information requests must be filed by Sun., Feb. 16
Assignment due Sun., March 29, noon.

Access-to-information assignment questions and answers

Q: How do I hand in my assignment?
A: Upload everything – including documents and answers to the three questions – to the relevant “category” of the syllabus (ReportingMethods2020_4). Save it as a draft. It doesn’t matter what format you choose, but most supporting material should be in PDF, .jpeg or Word format. You can also use DocumentCloud to upload pages of your records to the syllabus.

Q: Do all of my requests have to be on the same topic?
A: No. Request whatever records you might find useful.

Q: Do you want every piece of correspondence related to the four requests?
A: I want to see all relevant correspondence to help me understand how things proceeded.

Q: I dealt with agencies largely on the phone. What should I do?
A: Please give me dates and brief summaries of these calls wherever possible.

Q: I forgot to make copies of my requests. What should I do?
A: Please try to recreate the wording and date of your original requests as best you can.

Q: Can #5. and #6. on the above checklist be based on previously released pages that I find online?
A: Yes, though the pages must come from a site administered by a municipal, provincial or federal government.

Q: So, I don’t necessarily have to analyze previously released federal documents?
A: That’s correct. Although you must request some previously released documents, you may not actually receive the copies in time to analyze them. So, for example, you can simply download some previously released records from one of the provincial sites that make actual documents available, as demonstrated in class, and analyze those.

As we discussed, you should have received some correspondence in response to your original requests and your previously released federal one. Here’s a closer look:

Original requests (municipal, provincial/territorial, federal):
(*) An acknowledgment letter or email should have arrived within a week or 10 days.
(*) Many of you will also receive time-extension or fee-assessment letters.
(*) If the time extension is more than 90 days or you have been assessed fees beyond the application charge, it is best to follow up with the agency to see if you can still narrow the request. It will help to recall our in-class conversation about narrowing a request by either focusing the time-frame or the type of records you seek.
(*) Sometimes it is not possible to narrow a request or you may simply choose not to because doing so would unduly limit the desired response.
(*) However, there is no need to pay additional fees for the purposes of the assignment.

Previously released federal request:
(*) For this one, if you used the Completed Access to Information Requests site, you may simply have received an automated reply acknowledging your request. But you might have also received a follow-up acknowledgment letter from the agency or even a letter with a full response, including records. For the purposes of the assignment all I need to see is the latest reply or response letter, whatever it might be (not the actual records).

Overall, I will be looking to see that you followed up each of your four requests as necessary and managed their progress prudently.

Remember, as outlined on the checklist, you will also need to obtain and analyze some previously released records from any level of government. As you will recall, several provincial sites provide actual copies of releases for immediate download, so everyone will be able to easily find such records.

Here is an example of what I expect in the way of analysis, using the example of the RCMP records we discussed in class:

(*) What is the information?
These are emails and memos about the arrest of RCMP employee Cameron Jay Ortis, who was charged under the Security of Information Act.

(*) From which government and department did these pages come?
The records are from the RCMP, a federal agency.

(*) How would these records be helpful in researching or writing a story? Please try to highlight relevant facts or passages in the records.
The records reveal behind-the-scenes information that could form the basis of a news story about the Ortis case, giving readers a sense of the anxiety within the RCMP about his arrest.

The documents show that after the shocking apprehension of one of their own on national-secrecy charges, rank-and-file Mounties were encouraged to get counselling if needed, decline to speak with the media and avoid the headquarters venue where a news conference on the case was taking place.

Here is a link to excerpts from the documents with a few relevant annotations: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6818659-Ortis-RCMP-ATIPs.html

Week One (TOP)

What you will learn

Lede-writing tips
How to read a financial statement
How to follow money
How to find stories buried in numbers

Links

5206-20-PowerPointOne.ppt

5206-20-PowerPointTwo.pptx

Conservative leadership convention coincides with Pride weekend in Toronto
https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/conservative-leadership-convention-coincides-with-pride-weekend-in-toronto-1.4753438

Bonhomme Carnaval back for another year
https://www.timminspress.com/news/local-news/bonhomme-carnaval-back-for-another-year

Police chase ends in RM of Portage thanks to K9 units
https://www.thegraphicleader.com/news/local-news/police-chase-ends-in-portage-thanks-to-k9-units

The Sultan’s House: The haunted history of one of the French Quarter’s most photographed buildings
https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/home_garden/article_03fe9808-22b8-11ea-bd26-6fa625d09750.html

Connecting the dots and the roots
https://www.stalberttoday.ca/local-arts-and-culture/connecting-the-dots-and-the-roots-1997251

Mayflower 400 events could help recover lost Native American treasure
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/jan/05/mayflower-400-events-could-help-recover-lost-native-american-treasure-wampanoag-wampum

Ottawa Budget 2019
https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/budget/previous-budgets/budget-2019#budget-2019-alternative-accessible-format

Ottawa Budget 2020
https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/budget

City committee meeting agendas
(NOTE: Each budget was tabled and discussed at its respective committees in November-December 2019. Consult the agenda of each committee, you will find easily find the link to the audio on YouTube at the top right corner.)
https://app05.ottawa.ca/sirepub/agendaminutes/english.aspx

City council budget 2020 Youtube channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUR3i_hvk3-3i8vtrPg6v1Q

Week Two (TOP)

What you will learn

A continuation of decoding City of Ottawa budget documents
The importance of putting numbers into context
Further discussion of assignment and brainstorming for ideas
DocumentCloud demo
Continuation of elements of storytelling

Links

Infrastructure, housing and transit get boost in approved Ottawa 2020 budget
https://globalnews.ca/news/6284208/ottawa-2020-budget-approved/

Community police teams returning to 3 Ottawa neighbourhoods in 2020
https://globalnews.ca/news/6409395/community-police-teams-return-ottawa-neighbourhoods/

City rings in 2020 with higher parking fees, recreation costs
https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/city-rings-in-2020-with-higher-parking-fees-recreation-costs-1.4750132

2020 Budget highlights
https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/budget/2020-budget-highlights

2020 Budget highlights uploaded to DocumentCloud
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6656173-Draft-Budget-2020-at-a-Glance-City-of-Ottawa.html#document/p1/a543794

Ottawa Police
https://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/About-Us.aspx?_mid_=16623

Bank of Canada
https://www.bankofcanada.ca/

Statistics Canada
https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/start

Population estimates, July 1, by census metropolitan area and census agglomeration, 2016 boundaries
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/cv.action?pid=1710013501

Proposals for pair of monster homes on the waterfront in Balmy Beach have residents concerned
https://www.beachmetro.com/2019/11/13/proposals-for-pair-of-monster-homes-on-the-waterfront-in-balmy-beach-have-residents-concerned/

City will implement new rules in Ancaster to prevent ‘monster homes’
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/monster-homes-1.4584655