Term: Summer – 2021-2022
Instructor: David McKie
Email: davidmckiec@gmail.com
Phone: 613-290-7380
Social Media: @mckiedavid
Office Hours: For the hour directly after class
Location: Zoom
Dates: June 7, 2022 to August 9, 2022
Day and time: Tuesdays 12:05-14:55 AT
Delivery Mode: Virtual, synchronous and
asynchronous on Zoom
Territorial Acknowledgement:
The University of King’s College is located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq. We are all Treaty people.
Course Description
The professional project is an online course in the summer months in which MJ students pitch a story and a research plan for their final professional project.
After sessions in which we cover the elements that comprise successful projects — such as newsworthiness, the development of central characters, the use of public records, incorporating elements of solutions journalism and accountability — students will work through the initial stages to research, write and produce their professional project outline, which will server as a blueprint for the next two terms.
In the summer term, students will select a project, conduct research that leads to a story and research plan under the supervision of David McKie.
In the fall term, students will continue with their projects based on their summer research, and receive further instruction in the development and writing of large journalistic projects. If you still need access to me for advice, that can be arranged.
In the winter term I will resume my supervision to complete the production with the aim of publishing their multimedia projects in the suitable media outlet.
Who I am:
I am an Ottawa-based, award-winning journalist who spent 26 years honing his skills at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as an investigative producer.
I am now the National Observer’s deputy managing editor.
I teach at the schools of journalism at Carleton University, the University of King’s College, and Toronto Metropolitan University (formally known as Ryerson University), and have co-authored three journalism textbooks and two user guides on freedom-of-information laws and privacy, respectively.
In addition to my teaching, I’m a data-journalism trainer who has conducted workshops for the Canadian Association of Journalists, the U.S.-based National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting, the Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, and the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations. I also continue to offer data-journalism training to the CBC.
I have a Bachelor of Journalism degree and a Master of Journalism degree from Carleton.
You can find more information about me on my online cv.
Learning Objectives
Building on the courses they have already taken, upon completion of the course, students should be able to:
- Assess topics that make good projects;
- Understand the elements of a successful project, including investigative; enterprise; explanatory;
- Develop a workflow and long-term strategy for gathering, characterizing and archiving the necessary material;
- How to evaluate what to keep and what to discard;
- How to evaluate multimedia elements to enhance your storytelling, including data-visualizations, mapping, and analyzing datasets;
- How to file formal and informal federal access-to-information and provincial freedom-of-information requests;
- Build on the public-record research techniques you have learned in previous classes.
Expected time commitment
You should expect to put in 4 to 6 sustained hours into this course weekly, but this is just an
estimate. By sustained hours, we mean hours on task, not including breaks. How much time it takes will depend on your working habits and will also vary weekly with the content, hence the wide estimate. You’ll need to put in the time to develop a solid story pitch and detailed research plan, which will be the foundation of your work in the fall and winter.
Texts/Learning Materials
Vallance-Jones, Fred, David Mckie, (2016) The Data Journalist, Toronto: Oxford
University Press. The simplest way to obtain this book is to buy the e-book version
available at https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-data-journalist-gettingthe/
9780199020089-item.html. You can view it in the free Kobo app on a smartphone,
tablet or your computer. You can also buy a physical copy of the book from the King’s
bookstore and from Amazon.
Another option is to order an electronic copy of The Data Journalist through the Carleton University bookstore’s website.
You will also need a copy of the third edition of Digging Deeper which can also be purchased online if you don’t already have one.
You may already have the textbooks for previous courses in the program.
Your Right To Know is a handy guide for making access-to-information requests. It provides a step-by-step process for filing requests using the correct methodology and wording.
Students must either subscribe to the digital version or own a
hard copy of the Canadian Press Stylebook 18th edition and Caps and Spelling 22nd
edition. (There are no assigned readings in the Stylebook, but marks will be deducted from
assignments for style errors.)
Students must have a computer and internet connection that is sufficient to attend classes
on Zoom. Students are strongly encouraged to use an ethernet (wired) connection to attend class. Students must have a mobile phone and they must have a recording device. (Your phone can be your recording device.) Students must also have a method of recording phone calls.
This is the Zoom link for both Tuesday classes, in addition to office hours:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82488507454?pwd=SjMzblJieGEzVzhTNDFpczJFTFdXUT09
Brightspace and this website are the online platform where class material will be posted. Zoom is the platform for live classes and one-on-one meetings.
Course focus
Because you already possess knowledge from previous courses covering topics such as data and public records, we will review areas in which you need a refresher or further your knowledge through brief in-class discussions and tutorials.
Questionnaires will be used at the beginning of the course and at the mid-way point to track of progress of the learning objectives described in the section above.
The emphasis will be pitching a viable project, which means selecting a topic, public records that will need to be mined, access-to-information requests that will need to be filed, the strategic use of open-data sites and the key interviews that will need to be conducted and lined up.
The aim is set the students up to eventually produce a publishable piece of work using the appropriate format. Because that format is likely to be multimedia for a digital platform, you should also be thinking that elements such as audio and video clips, data visualizations such as bar charts and maps. For those needing extra help with these elements, instruction will be provided through synchronous or asynchronous tutorials.
Please note the minimum technical requirements for computers and software (Microsoft Excel, DataWrapper, ArcGIS Online) that have been emphasized in previous courses hold true here.
Office Hours/Instructor Availability
I will make myself available after each class on Zoom. If you have questions outside this time period, we can communicate by email, or set up one-on-one Zoom sessions at convenient times.
As the course progresses, and you make more progress with your project development, we may not need to meet formally for the during of the allotted times. However, I will still be available during those periods for one-on-one meetings.
Ground Rules/Protocol
This course is built to culminate in a viable pitch, or roadmap, which will guide your continued research in the fall, and work towards a final product in the winter. As noted above, the aim is to produce a publishable piece of work.
As such, you be expected to choose a top that is newsworthy, either because it advances a well-known story by exploring an unexplained area, or a solution that has yet to be discussed, but perhaps should be.
For example, a story about the possible perils of transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable or carbon-neutral sources of energy might explore unexplored challenges companies face through a deep dive into their financial records, lawsuits, lobbying activities, as well as government briefing notes and emailed correspondence obtained through federal and provincial access-to-information requests.
However, the pitch must go beyond identifying problems. Typically, projects have a solutions component. So, you will be encouraged to explore possible solutions by learning about success stories. Not to cheerlead, but to shed light on realistic paths to success that have a proven track record — warts and all.
So, the project might have elements that are investigative, explanatory and solutions-driven. We will study examples of projects that hit these marks, discuss how they succeeded and areas where they needed to improve.
Assessment
1. Assessing how the project was done. Choose a project from a media outlet and assess the use of public records (freely available or obtained through access-to-information requests) including documents and data; the voices it consulted, including victims, experts, lawmakers; the use of multimedia elements. You will be graded on your ability to not only identify the elements described above, but to assess their effectiveness. You will also be required to appraise the quality of the storytelling and its potential impact. What I’m looking for is your critical assessments, and not a simple, factual recitation of facts about the story. Please see the grading rubric for more details about how this mark breaks down.
In taking into consideration the criteria mentioned above, you must answer the following questions:
- What is the story?
- Was the story easy to understand?
- What would be a central question this story seeks to answer?
- Was there a nutgraph, or a paragraph that summarizes the story’s focus; in other words, a paragraph that tells readers, listeners or viewers why they should care?
- Given the discussion about projects we had during the first week, what makes this story project-worthy?
- What is the newsworthy element? This could be a brand new focus, or a new development on a long-standing story, such as racism or gun control.
- What records are used? Name and assess the value they added to the story?
- Who were the main characters?
- What multimedia elements were used and what value did they add to the story?
- Were all the interviews on-the-record? If interviewees were quoted anonymously, was their secrecy justified?
Keep the answers to these questions brief. No more than two or three sentences so the length comes in at about 600 words.
Word length: 600 (assignments 20 or more words above or below this mark will be lose half a grade)
Percentage of course mark: 10%
Amended due date: June 16, midnight.
2. Completing a Watchdog: Storyboarding worksheet (developed by the Investigative Reporters and Editors). The worksheet contains questions, including the maximum and minimum stories you hope to tell; an inventory of the kinds of records you plan to obtain; whether the story has been pursued, and if so, what new elements will you introduce. You’ll be marked on the completeness of your answers to the questions, the quality of the records identified, and the newsworthiness of the story idea. Please see the grading rubric for more details about how this mark breaks down.
Percentage of course mark: 10%
Due date: June 24, midnight
3. Access-to-information requests. Not all of the records you’ll need will be publicly available, which means filing formal requests at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. You will be required to file at least five requests, preferably covering as many levels of government as possible. You’ll be marked on the precision and time frame of the wording based on the examples we have studied; the types of records you have requested; whether the requests have been directed to the correct department or agency; and whether you have been thorough in determining all the government institutions that should have been targeted. Please see the grading rubric for more details about how this mark breaks down.
Percentage of course mark: 10%
Due date: July 7, midnight
4. Project assessment. You will be required to provide a critical appraisal of your progress so far, including areas in which you have made substantial progress, and areas where you have not. Strategically, this assignment comes at about the halfway point in the course to establish a clear roadmap that might require tweaking your focus or changing it substantially from the worksheet you competed for the second assignment.
You will be evaluated on the depth and honesty of your assessment, which may be a rationale for switching directions based on the criteria we have established in the previous weeks. Making a slight change, or a more drastic switch IS NOT a sign of weakness and will not be penalized or marked down. Rather, a tweak or change of direction can be evidence of the critical thinking needed to assess a project’s strengths and areas that need to be shored up. Please see the grading rubric for more details about how this mark breaks down.
Word length: 600
Percentage of course mark: 20%
Due date: July 22, midnight
5. Draft pitch: This pitch is based on the information you’ve been able to assemble thus far. The pitch must be no longer than 200 words, with the following sections: A draft lead; a nutgraph summarizing your findings and explaining what is new; a description of the public records you will be using; the voices you’ll be consulting and the multimedia elements you’ll be using. I’ll be looking for evidence of lessons learned from the previous project assessment assignment, which includes building on weaknesses that had been identified, resulting in a narrower, sharper focus. Please see the grading rubric for more details about how this mark breaks down.
Word length: 200
Percentage of course mark: 20%
Due date: August 5, midnight
6. Final pitch: This will be the road map used to guide your work for the following two terms. This pitch should be similar length to the previous assignment and contain the same sections. It’s important to keep pitches brief and to the point. Editors and producers do not like wading through pitches that go on for pages. Get to the point right away.
Unlike the previous assignment, the lead and nutgraph must be sharper, more precise, and based on the additional information you’ve obtained as you continued to research. Here, what I’m looking for is evidence of progress that answers questions such as:
What additional records have you obtained?
Have you received any access-to-information request responses, followed-up with amended wording to ensure success and avoid delays?
Have you identified additional experts who can shed new light on your topic?
And how has this additional information influenced the multimedia elements you’ll be using?
In short, the final pitch MUST show clear evidence of progress from the previous assignment. Please see the grading rubric for more details about how this mark breaks down.
Word length: 600
Percentage of course mark: 20%
Due date: August 17, midnight
Professionalism: This mark will be based on your attendance, responding quickly to emailed queries, completing regular workflow questionnaires, including updates on the Google alerts you have received, and participation in group discussion and overall conduct. Please see the grading rubric for more details about how this mark breaks down.
Percentage of course mark: 10%
Submission of Assignments
All assignments must be emailed to me in Word or Google doc format.
Deadlines & Late Penalties
Assignments are marked down one grade step each day past deadline and receive a zero if filed more than 72 hours past the original deadline. (An excellent assignment filed before a 9 a.m. Monday deadline would receive an A+. The same assignment filed at 10 a.m. on Monday would receive an A. The same assignment filed at 10 a.m. on Tuesday would receive an A-. The same assignment filed at 10 a.m. on Wednesday would receive a B+. The assignment would receive an F and zero points if filed after 9 a.m. on Thursday.
Sometimes life gets in the way of assignments. If you have a personal situation that interferes with your school responsibilities, please contact me immediately, and in all cases before the deadline has passed. In general, extensions will only be granted for serious issues that are beyond a student’s control, but each situation is different and will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Details and Grading
Each assignment has a rubric that will be used for grading. You are encouraged to review the grading rubric before beginning each assignment.
Absences
Student who are absent for up to three consecutive calendar days and miss a graded assignment must contact the course instructor in advance of the date of the academic requirement. They must then complete and submit a Student Declaration of Absence Form (Journalism) to the instructor via email or through Brightspace no later than three calendar days after the last day of the absence.
For absences of more than three consecutive days, student should follow the same procedure and contact their course instructor within five calendar days after the last day of the absence. Documentation from an on-campus or other health care professional is required to support a long-term absence and should describe how the medical condition affects the student’s ability to fulfill academic requirements.
Student experiencing longer-term absences, or more than two short-term absences, are encouraged to meet with the journalism school’s undergraduate or graduate coordinator, or the school director.
Grade Scale
| Grade | Grade Point Value | % | Definition |
| A+ | 4.30 | 90-100 | Excellent and above expectations |
| A | 4.00 | 85-89 | Excellent |
| A- | 3.70 | 80-84 | Very good |
| B+ | 3.30 | 77-79 | Good |
| B | 3.00 | 73-76 | Decent effort but needs improvement. |
| B- | 2.70 | 70-72 | Below expectations. |
| F | 0.00 | 0-69 | Fail |
| INC
|
0.00
|
Incomplete | |
| ILL | Neutral and no credit
obtained |
Compassionate reasons, illness |
Rubrics
Grading rubric for assignment one: an assessment of a media outlet’s project
| Excellent (A- to A+) |
Good (B- to B+) |
Below expectations (C+ and below) |
|
| Research and understanding
(33.33%)
|
Has a clear understanding of the story’s focus and is able to identify the major players. | Has a good, general understanding of the story and its main characters, but has some gaps in the explanation. | Has a poor understanding of the story and its focus and is unable to explain it clearly. |
| Analysis and thinking
(33.33%) |
Shows an excellent understanding of the types of records that were used and whether they were employed effectively. | Shows a good understanding of the types of records used and whether they were employed effectively. | Shows a poor understanding of the types of records used and whether they were employed effectively. |
| Writing and presentation
(33.33%) |
Writing is crisp and clear. Words are carefully chosen and spelled correctly. Follows CP style. | Writing is generally sound, but may contain a few poorly crafted sentences. Minor spelling mistakes and/or problems with CP style. | Writing is unclear or word choice not ideal, or major problems with punctuation. Several spelling mistakes and/or major problems with CP style.
F: misspelled name |
Grading rubric for second assignment: Completing a Watchdog: Storyboarding worksheet
| Excellent (A- to A+) |
Good (B- to B+) |
Below expectations (C+ and below) |
|
| Quality of the story idea
(33.3%) |
It is a brand new story or novel treatment of a well-known story. | It contains some new elements, but needs work. | Focus is old, irrelevant or unclear. |
| The quality of the records
(33.3%) |
The public records shed new light on the story and advance our knowledge and will be an integral part of the story. | The records cover some new ground and can be used sparingly. | The records are of little to no use. |
| The quality of the multimedia elements.
(33.3%) |
The multimedia elements add value to the public records in the story you are pitching because they are up to date, and provide a level of detail not contained in the records. | The elements provide valued-added content, but mostly are repetitions of what we already know in the proposed story. | The elements are unclear and provide no new information. |
Grading rubric for assignment three: filing access-to-information requests
| Excellent (A- to A+) |
Good (B- to B+) |
Below expectations (C+ and below) |
|
| Filing of a federal request
(33.3%) |
Has conducted the legwork necessary to file at least two requests at this level. | Has done the legwork, but has only filed one request. | Has done the legwork, but neglected to file a request. |
| Filing at the provincial level
(33.3%) |
Has conducted the legwork necessary to file at least two requests at this level. | Has done the legwork, but has only filed one request. | Has done the legwork, but neglected to file a request. |
| Filing af the municipal level
(33.3%) |
Has conducted the legwork necessary to file at least one request at this level. | Has conducted the legwork necessary and shows evidence that a request will be filed. | Has conducted some research and has not demonstrated a request has been filed. |
Grading rubric for assignment four: project assessment
| Excellent (A- to A+) |
Good (B- to B+) |
Below expectations (C+ and below) |
|
| News judgment and focus
(25%)
|
Shows a solid understanding of the project’s progress, its newsworthy components, and areas that need beefing up. | Shows a decent understanding of the project’s progress, its newsworthy components, and areas that need beefing up | Shows a poor understanding of the project’s progress, its newsworthy components, and areas that need beefing up |
| Research and context
(25%) |
You have identified the records and assessed how they were used to shed new light on the subject. | You have identified the records but failed to explain how they helped to advance the story. | Have identified very few of the records and were unable to assess how they advanced the story. |
| An assessment of your progress
(25%) |
You have mapped out a plan and a timetable for addressing the shortcomings. | You have not mapped out a complete plan and a timetable for addressing the shortcomings. | You have not mapped out a plan and a timetable for addressing the shortcomings. |
| (25%) | Writing is crisp and clear. Words are carefully chosen and spelled correctly. Generally follows CP style. | Writing is generally sound, but the assignment may contain a few poorly crafted sentences. Minor spelling mistakes and/or problems with CP style. | Writing is unclear or word choice not ideal, or major problems with punctuation. Several spelling mistakes and/or major problems with CP style.
|
Grading rubric for assignment five: draft pitch
| Excellent (A- to A+) |
Good (B- to B+) |
Below expectations (C+ and below) |
|
| Quality of your assessment
(25%)
|
Does an excellent job of identifying the strengths and weaknesses and areas and creating a viable to-do list to acquire the missing elements for the final pitch. | Does a decent job of identifying the project’s strengths, but struggles to assess weaknesses and identify areas for improvement. | Is unable to identify the strengths and weaknesses and areas that need improving. |
| Research and context
(25%) |
Has done an excellent job of digging up records such as court documents, datasets and corporate filings and has almost everything the story needs. Has shown evidence of follow-up from the previous assignment. | Has done a decent job of finding public records, but still needs to locate a substantial number of resources. Has shown some evidence of follow-up from previous assignment. | Has done little background research and has very few records. Has shown no evidence of follow-up from previous assignment. |
| Access to information
(25%) |
Has shown evidence of following up on the requests (through contacting the ATIP offices to assess progress, for instance) once the acknowledgement letters have been received. | Has filed the initial requests, but showed little evidence of follow-up to track their progress. | Has yet to file all the requests and showed no evidence of follow-up. |
| Professionalism and safety
(25%) |
Writing is crisp and clear. Words are carefully chosen and spelled correctly. Generally follows CP style.
|
Writing is generally sound, but pitch may contain a few poorly crafted sentences. Minor spelling mistakes and/or problems with CP style. | Writing is unclear or word choice not ideal, or major problems with punctuation. Several spelling mistakes and/or major problems with CP style.
|
Grading rubric for assignment six: final pitch
| Excellent (A- to A+) |
Good (B- to B+) |
Below expectations (C+ and below) |
|
| News judgment and originality
(25%)
|
Story idea is original and/or brings something new to an ongoing discussion. Clear and ideal focus (ie. timely, newsworthy, interesting).
|
Story idea is acceptable but does not make clear what is original or new. May have been covered by national or international media, but is new to a local audience. Focus may be a bit unclear. | Story idea lacks depth or freshness or understanding of the assigned task. May have been covered by other local media and offers no fresh angle. Unfocused or doesn’t identify the best angle or focus. |
| Research and context
(25%) |
Relevant and authoritative statistics and background info. Identifies diverse human, document/data sources. Clear and strong connection between research and story idea, and solid evidence of a research plan. | Some statistics, background info, and discovered facts but not fully developed and/or not entirely relevant or authoritative. Predictable human, document/data sources. Generally, research supports story idea. | Few statistics, little background info, and/or discovered facts. Human/data sources are irrelevant or not ideal. None or little explanation of relevance or research to support story idea, and no evidence of a research plan. |
| Multimedia
(25%) |
Clear and creative possibilities. Clearly tied to story focus. Shows significant effort. | Predictable possibilities. Tied to story focus, but may not be ideal or creative. Shows some effort. | Suggestions may be ill-suited to story focus. Minimum effort. |
| Professionalism and safety
(25%) |
Timeline is clear and achievable. Clear and suitable description of safety protocols. Shows deep understanding of the rigours and demands of reporting work. | Timeline is generally achievable, but needs a minor tweak. Description of safety protocols may lack a key element and/or one element is ill-suited. Overall, shows an adequate understanding of reporting work. | Timeline is off or unachievable. Unclear description of safety protocols and/or protocols irrelevant or not well-developed. Overall, shows a lack of understanding of the rigours of reporting work. |
Grading rubric for professionalism
| Excellent (A- to A+) |
Good (B- to B+) |
Below expectations (C+ and below) |
|
| Attendance and participation
(33.3%)
|
Attends all scheduled classes.
|
Attends 75 per cent of scheduled classes. | Attends less than 50 per cent of scheduled classes. |
| Workflow
(33.3%) |
Completes ALL the assigned workflow questionnaires and the surveys at the beginning and mid-way point of class. | Completes 70 per cent of the assigned workflow questionnaires and the surveys at the beginning and mid-way point of class. | Completes less than 50 per cent of the assigned workflow questionnaires and none of the surveys at the beginning and mid-way point of class. |
| Participation and overall conduct
(33.3%) |
Participates fully in discussions, is respectful of classmates opinions and responds promptly to instructor’s emailed correspondence. | Participates in some discussions, is respectful of classmates opinions and fails to respond promptly to instructor’s emailed correspondence. | Participates in few discussions, is disrespectful of classmates opinions and fails to respond promptly to instructor’s emailed correspondence. |
Course Schedule
| WELCOME | Course overview: Who we are, what we’re setting out to do and why.
Read: Course syllabus |
| WEEK 1
(June 7) -Discussing the course; -Defining a project by what it is and what it isn’t; |
Class recording https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0Huv0Yxo_0What you will learn: Discussion of the course; Answering questions on the syllabus; Discussing assignments; General discussion about projects; The elements of a successful project: Identifying what’s new, relevant and/or interesting, solutions. What goes into a piece (e.g. quotes, background)? What goes where? Grant Robertson’s presentation and follow-up Q&ALinks: The suspect science used to push aspiring Olympians to starve themselves Blind spots: How Canada’s reliance on U.S. aviation policy kept regulators from seeing the fatal flaws in Boeing’s 737 Max planes
|
| WEEK 2
(June 14) A continued discussion of projects An introduction to public records
|
Class recording What you will learn: Continue discussion about projects and elements the successful ones contain; Links National Newswatch Unchartered: Part one — Rights Wronged: A Torstar investigation of more than 600 cases reveals police are not often Toronto police reviewing officers’ conduct in nearly 100 cases following Torstar investigation into Charter violations In Canada’s biggest cities, vulnerability to rising temperatures may depend on your neighbourhood Building on river floodplains has proven costly and devastating to Canadians. A new Globe analysis reveals which cities are most at risk Who’s in charge of fixing B.C.’s flood defences? In communities near ‘orphan dikes,’ no one’s really sure Census Program Data Viewer Census release schedule B.C., StatCan partner on fire prevention pilot as deaths increase around province British Columbia Office of the Fire Commissioner Annual Report 2021 Fire commissioner annual report uploaded to DocumentCloud Uploading documents to DocumentCloud Coroners reports Coroners’ review reveals true death toll of B.C.’s 2021 heat dome Enhanced alert system, risk mitigation needed for resilience in future heat events Ministers’ statement on 619 lives lost during 2021 heat dome 2020 coroner’s inquests’ verdicts and recommendations Quebec coroner’s service Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Coroner’s Service New Brunswick Coroner PEI BC Corners Service Office of the Chief Medical Examiner – Alberta Federal records Information about programs and holdings Open data portals Virtual Reference Library Canadian Parliamentary Historical Resources portal House of Commons Publication Search for journals (from 2001 to present) Status of House Business — Part 111 Public Search Tool for Journals House Publications Historical parliamentary debates ‘Vindication’: Canada’s Environment Ministry marks 50 years of conservation efforts PARLINFO Early Canadiana Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy |
| WEEK 3 (June 21) Access-to-information requests. We will begin navigating the informal process used to obtain records. Time permitting, we’ll pivot to formal method, which will be continued the following week. |
Class recording What you will learn: Finding stories: Examples of stories that have used access-to-information; Links: ‘Disaster Land Grabs’ Worldwide and in British Columbia If long-gun registry still existed, police might have been able to trace killer’s gun, inquest hears Federal unit flags apparent Chinese campaign to sow doubt on return of ‘two Michaels’ Liberals ‘foot dragging’ on access to information fix with mandatory parliamentary review two years late, say Conservatives Office of the Information Commissioner 2021-2022 annual report Bill C-58 Information commission 2021-2022 report uploaded to DocumentCloud Order paper answer on gun seizures uploaded to DocumentCloud FEDERAL Question Period Notes Completed Access to Information Requests Search Briefing Note Titles and Numbers Access to Information and Privacy Coordinators Information about programs and holdings Access to Information: general info Access to Information request forms Epost Connect PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland and Labrador Northwest Territories Nova Scotia The Right to Know Coalition of Nova Scotia Nunavut Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Yukon CITIES Calgary Edmonton Fredericton Halifax Regional Municipality http://www.halifax.ca/AccessPrivacy/index.php Hamilton Moncton Montreal Ottawa Regina Saskatoon Completed requests: https://open.toronto.ca/dataset/freedom-of-information-requests-summary/ Vancouver Winnipeg COMPLETED ACCESS REQUESTS Federal CBC British Columbia Vancouver Manitoba Winnipeg Regina (Note: not all are freedom-of-information responses) Nova Scotia Halifax Newfoundland Yukon A shopping list of key records20 records you can get using the federal Access to Information Act1. RECORD: Ministerial briefing notes. DEPARTMENT: All departments. ASK FOR: All briefing notes prepared specifically to help the new minister become acquainted with his/her new portfolio. HINT: Make this request a week or two after a new cabinet is named. RESULT: Yields wide range of information about a department’s plans/activities. 2. RECORD: Expense claims. DEPARTMENT: All departments/agencies. ASK FOR: Receipts, invoices and guest lists detailing travel and hospitality expenses claimed by a deputy minister or other senior bureaucrat that are more detailed than the ones you’ll find in the information federal institutions are obliged to file on line. HINT: Limit request to no more than one year’s worth of claims.RESULT: Can reveal spending habits and establish dates of key meetings, dealings. Remember former federal heritage minister Bev Oda’s $16-dollar glass of orange juice! 3. RECORD: Correspondence. DEPARTMENT: All departments/agencies. ASK FOR: Correspondence with a minister or agency head on a topic of interest. HINT: Frame request narrowly. For instance, exclude letters from the public if you do not require them. RESULT: Can uncover letters from provincial premiers, lobby groups. 4. RECORD: House cards. DEPARTMENT: All departments. ASK FOR: All cards prepared for the minister in the House of Commons on a specific issue. HINT: Watch headlines, Commons debates for ideas. RESULT: Often contain much more detail, background than revealed in Question Period. 5. RECORD: Material on possible legislation. DEPARTMENT: All departments. ASK FOR: Records concerning possible legislation or other initiatives on a given issue. HINT: Limit request to cover the last year to ensure currency of material. RESULT: Provides insight into initiatives that might be in pipeline, and reasons why the initiatives might (or might not) proceed. 6. RECORD: Meeting minutes. DEPARTMENT: All departments/agencies. ASK FOR: Minutes from the two most recent meetings of a specific committee. HINT: Make calls to find out meeting schedules and whether minutes are kept. RESULT: Can aid in understanding internal policy debates and decisions. 7. RECORD: Audits. DEPARTMENT: All departments, most agencies. ASK FOR: Audits and evaluations completed by or for the department/agency on specific subjects in the last year. HINT: Ask department informally for list of audits conducted in the last year. RESULT: Audits often reveal shortcomings in programs, policies. 8. RECORD: Polls. DEPARTMENT: All departments, but especially Privy Council Office. ASK FOR: Polls conducted for the department on a given subject. HINT: Some (but not all) polls are released informally. RESULT: Can reveal public attitudes towards government policies. 9. RECORD: Contract information. DEPARTMENT: All departments. ASK FOR: A copy of the contract for a specific project such as the federal government’s beleaguered Phoenix pay system. HINT: Public Services and Procurement Canada administers many contracts, including Phoenix. RESULT: Reveals details of financial arrangements with private companies. 10. RECORD: Responses to discussion papers. DEPARTMENT: Any department that publishes consultation/discussion paper. ASK FOR:Copies of all submissions in response to the department’s paper. HINT: Put in request just after cut-off date for submissions. Only narrow request if certain submissions are required. RESULT: Reveals views of wide cross-section of groups on pressing issues. 11. RECORD: Contracted studies. DEPARTMENT: Privy Council Office. ASK FOR: Specific studies, research conducted for PCO. HINT: Ask informally for list of studies, which is updated regularly. RESULT: Yields advice prepared for government on unity, security, parliamentary affairs and other key issues. 12. RECORD: 20-year-old cabinet documents. DEPARTMENT: Privy Council Office. ASK FOR: Cabinet records on a specific issue. HINT:Check almanac for noteworthy past events. RESULT: Meeting minutes reveal thinking of ministers on issues. (Cabinet documents routinely become public only after 30 years). 13. RECORD: Prime Minister’s email. DEPARTMENT: Privy Council Office. ASK FOR: E-mail sent to the Prime Minister by visitors to his website. HINT: Limit request to a one-week period. RESULT: Names of correspondents are deleted, but letters yield an interesting mix of feedback, including light-hearted, angry and thoughtful correspondence. 14. RECORD: Criminal intelligence briefs. AGENCY: RCMP. ASK FOR: Criminal intelligence briefs prepared during the last six months. HINT:Make time-frame the last couple of years if you are seeking a brief on a specific subject. RESULT: Briefs cover issues such as aboriginal militancy, drug trade and smuggling. 15. RECORD: Incident reports. AGENCY: RCMP. ASK FOR: Incident report on a specific event. HINT: Broaden request to include other records if incident is a prolonged one, such as a standoff. RESULT: Can help explain police decision-making. 16. RECORD: Lessons learned. DEPARTMENT: National Defence. ASK FOR: “Lessons learned” from major military missions. HINT: Wait a month or two after mission is complete. RESULT: Provides evaluation of peacekeeping tours and other assignments. 17. RECORD: UFO reports. DEPARTMENT: Transport. ASK FOR: Reports of unidentified flying objects filed by the public. HINT: UFO reports are also often filed with Defence and RCMP. RESULT: Names of people who make reports are deleted, but other details can be released. 18. RECORD: Observer reports. DEPARTMENT: Fisheries. ASK FOR: Observer reports prepared for the department. HINTS: Limit request to specific geographic area and time frame. RESULTS: Can provide details about operations of foreign vessels. 19. RECORD: SIRC reports. AGENCY: Security Intelligence Review Committee. ASK FOR: Specific reports prepared by committee on CSIS activities. HINT: Reports are listed in back of committee’s annual report. RESULT: Reports, though heavily edited, provide check on spy agency CSIS. 20. RECORD: CRTC debriefing notes. AGENCY: Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. ASK FOR: Debriefing notes prepared in connection with a specific licensing hearing. HINT: Make request shortly after licence decision is made. RESULT: Can provide behind-the-scenes reasoning on why TV, radio licences are granted or denied. Click here to see an example of an access-to-information request. Ten ways to improve your searches1. Look to the headlines for ideas. 2. Check the relevant federal websites for forms, contacts, info on departmental holdings. 3. Call the access co-ordinator before making your request. 4. Call the co-ordinator after submitting your request. 5. Make similar requests to more than one department, agency or government. 6. Keep a photocopy or scan of each request and attach all return correspondence. 7. Negotiate with departments, agencies or governments. 8. Be persistent. If necessary, complain. 9. Read and re-read the records you receive carefully. 10. Don’t get discouraged. |
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Week 4 |
Class recording https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucBMFCLBUvUWhat you will learn: The workflow for conducting successful access-to-information requests; Links Beijing may have tried to discourage Canadians from voting Conservative: federal unit Research reports and analyses produced by Rapid Response Mechanism Canada in 2021 Informal release of Research by Rapid Response Mechanism Canada in 2021_A-2021-00824.pdf Tom Cardoso’s FOIs and data journalism Tom Cardoso’s FOI tracking Google sheet Man seeking historical records told it would cost feds $21 million to process request From private emails to Post-it Notes: How politicians avoid scrutiny The finalists in the Canadian Association of Journalists FREEDOM OF INFORMATION JOURNALISM: Brittany Guyot, Kathleen Martens Nick Murray Scott Anderson, Bob McKeown, Rachel Ward Anna McKenzie, Bayleigh Marelj, Brielle Morgan, Tessa Vikander, Lindsay Sample Rachel Mendleson, Andrew Bailey, Jennifer Yang |
| WEEK 5
(July 5) If necessary, follow-up from the previous weeks lessons on filing formal freedom-of-information requests
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Class recording What you will learn: Feedback on the first two assignments; Continuation of access to information and discussion of assignment; Finding and navigating Statistics Canada tables; Links Governor in Council and Ministerial Appointments Orders In Council – Search Public Safety Canada — “transparency” page Statistics Canada’s data tables How to use the data tables Labour force characteristics, monthly, seasonally adjusted and trend-cycle, last 5 months Employment by industry, monthly, seasonally adjusted and unadjusted, and trend-cycle, last 5 months Labour Force Survey in brief: Interactive app International trade monthly interactive dashboard International merchandise trade by province, commodity, and Principal Trading Partners (x 1,000) Canadian International Merchandise Trade Web Application Estimates of the components of interprovincial migration, quarterly Estimates of interprovincial migrants by province or territory of origin and destination, quarterly Gross domestic product (GDP) at basic prices, by industry, monthly, growth rates (x 1,000,000) Census release schedule Census Program Data Viewer 2021 Census – Boundary files Census product feedback 2016 Census – Boundary files |
| WEEK 6 (July 12 ) Examination of open-data portals |
Class recording https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewum8WI-W28 What you will learn Feedback on ATI assignment; Links The Uber Files: A kill switch, intense lobbying and driver exploitation. Leaked documents reveal ‘cutthroat’ tactics that built ride-hailing empire A kill switch, intense lobbying and driver exploitation.pdf Uber deliberately dodged authorities, ignored rules in early years, leaked documents show Open data portals Proactive disclosures Federal mandate letters Ottawa to relax penalties for drug offences, encouraged to treat possession as a health issue Offender Profile 2017-2018 Census Profile, 2016 Census Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population Census Program Data Viewer Census release schedule Median household after income — Statistics Canada visualization on Instagram Population change visualized on my WordPress site Statistics Canada Instagram Conservatives, Liberals and Bloc end 2020 with record-breaking fundraising quarter Elections Canada Elections Nova Scotia Elections Alberta Elections Ontario Elections Newfoundland and Labrador Buyandsell.gc.da Nova Scotia Tenders Canada’s Lobbying Commissioner Recommends Significant Changes to the Federal Lobbying Regime Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying Registry of Lobbyists Nova Scotia Financial public records: Public accounts, budgets, annual reportsNova Scotia Public Accounts Nova Scotia public accounts uploaded to DocumentCloud Federal Public Accounts Federal Public Accounts – PDF format Federal Public Accounts – Volume one Federal Public Accounts – Volume two Federal Public Accounts – Corrections to Volume two Federal Public Accounts – Volume three Losses of Public Property as per the Public Accounts of Canada in csv format Losses of public money due to an offence, illegal act or accident as per the Public Accounts of Canada in csv format Ministerial Expenditures by Standard Object as per the Public Accounts of Canada in csv format Ministerial Expenditures by Type as per the Public Accounts of Canada Federal Public Accounts – Volume three One patrol ship and 118 Crown vehicles vandalized, part of $24.2-million in lost property in 2018-19 Annual Financial Report of the Government of Canada Fiscal Year 2019-2020 Annual Financial Report of the Government of Canada Fiscal Year 2019-2020 – uploaded to DocumentCloud Federal Fall Economic Statement 2020 Federal Fall Economic Statement uploaded to DocumentCloud Accountability Report – 2014-2015 – Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness Open data portals ParliamentCanadian Parliamentary Historical Resources portal House of Commons Publication Search for journals (from 2001 to present) Status of House Business — Part 111 Public Search Tool for Journals House Publications Historical parliamentary debates PARLINFO Early Canadiana
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| Week 7 (July 19)Continuation of public records |
Please refer to links for the previous week.
Class recording Links: Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, Canada, provinces, territories and Census Metropolitan Areas Information About Programs and Information Holdings (formerly Info Source) Open data portals |
| WEEK 8 (July 26) Data visualizations |
What you will learn
Review the project assessment assignment and discuss the draft pitch; Links Toronto’s airport is now worst in the world for delays. The reason may not be what you think Hola, Glovertown: How workers from Mexico have been keeping a Newfoundland fish plant running Canadian world junior player asked woman whether she had gone to police after alleged sexual assault Statistics Canada’s data tables How to use the data tables Labour Force Survey in brief: Interactive app Unemployment and Industry jobs June 2022 Tableau visualization Facebook Ad Library Facebook Ad Library data sample Statistics Canada 2021 Census release schedule Statistics Canada Census program data viewer |
| WEEK 9
(August 2) Continuation of data-visualizations.
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Class recording https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDdAAfvO1Ik Please refer to links for the previous week |
| WEEK 10
(August 9) Wrap-up and look ahead |
What we will learn: Assignment postmortem; Individual assessment of progress with projects and lessons we can all learn; Discussion of final pitch; Postmortem. Class recording https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dasZ4s2yRxMLinks: Legal searchesOffice of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy The Canadian Legal Information Institute (a voluntary initiative and is not a comprehensive listing of all class action lawsuits currently underway in Canada) Class Action Database — Canadian Bar Association Class Action Database (U.S.) Kim – Spencer – McPhee Barristers Federal Court of Canada The Criminal Code Supreme Court of Canada Tax Court of Canada Recent Courts Martial results Class Proceedings Act List of Class Action Lawsuits (U.S) |
Stories
CAJ Data Journalism finalists – 2021
Valérie Ouellet, Naël Shiab, Sylvène Gilchrist
White men make up a third of Canada’s population but a majority of MPs — here’s why
CBC News Investigative Unit / Radio-Canada
Analysis of candidacies during Canadian federal elections
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/info/codesource/code-ouvert/2021/elections/candidatures/analysis.nb.html
Dataset on the Demographics of Canadian Federal Election Candidates (2008-2019)
https://dataverse.harvard.edu/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.7910/DVN/MI5XQ6
Sample candidates dataset
John Rieti, Angelina King, Katie Swyers, James Wattie
State of Our Schools
CBC News – Toronto
Sample schools dataset
Robyn Doolittle, Chen Wang, Tavia Grant
The Power Gap
The Globe and Mail
Sample salaries dataset
Tai Huynh
COVID-19 infection and vaccinations
The Local, Toronto
Kenyon Wallace, Ed Tubb, Brendan Kennedy
Making sense of COVID-19 data
Toronto Star
Toronto Star long-term-care analysis.xlsx
Toronto Star long-term-care analysis – Google Sheets
2021 Philip Meyer Award winners
The Wall Street Journal – How Tik Tok Figures You Out (first place)
Inside TikTok’s Algorithm: A WSJ Video Investigation – WSJ
The Wall Street Journal’s application form with story links and explanations of methodology
QUESTIONNAIRE_TikTok_WSJ.pdf
http://www.davidmckie.com/PRIMARY_TikTok_WSJ.pdf
The Palm Beach Post – ProPublica – Black Snow: Big Sugar’s Burning Problem (second place)
http://www.davidmckie.com/PBP_PP_BlackSnow_MeyerQuestionnaire.pdf
PBP_PP_BlackSnow_MeyerPrimaryMaterials.pdf
Asbury Park Press and ProPublica – “Gilded Badges: How New Jersey Cops Profit From Police Unions and Avoid Accountability” (third place)
APP_PP_GildedBadges_MeyerQuestionnaire.pdf
APP_PP_GildedBadges_MeyerPrimaryMaterials.pdf
Sigma Award winners 2022
The Sigma Awards Projects Database
https://sigmaawards.org/projects/
Solutions Journalism
The Top 10 Takeaways from the Newest Solutions Journalism Research
https://bit.ly/3x3TADV
Complicating the Narratives:
What if journalists covered controversial issues differently — based on how humans actually behave when they are polarized and suspicious?
https://bit.ly/3v7Kxkc
SOLUTIONS STORY TRACKER
https://storytracker.solutionsjournalism.org/
Watch Now: Using Solutions Journalism to Report on Climate
https://coveringclimatenow.org/climate-beat-story/watch-now-using-solutions-journalism-to-report-on-climate/
Solutions Journalism presentation
General stories that lend themselves to project-like treatment
Alleged hate crimes rarely investigated by police, report claims
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-alleged-hate-crimes-rarely-investigated-by-police-report-claims/
Spread hatred. Face courts. Repeat. Why Canada’s ‘weak’ laws are failing to address the rise of hate
https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2022/01/28/spread-hatred-face-courts-repeat-why-canadas-weak-laws-are-failing-to-address-the-rise-of-hate.html
Why aren’t more hate crime charges being laid in Canada? A Globe and Mail analysis examines police performance across the country
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-why-arent-more-hate-crime-charges-being-laid-in-canada-a-globe-and/
Learning & Support Resources
In addition to resources at King’s, many are available to you at Dalhousie University. These include the Student Health & Wellness Centre, the Indigenous Student Centre, the Black Student Advising Centre, the International Centre and the South House Sexual and Gender Resource Centre, among others.
Ethical Conduct
All students are expected to familiarize themselves with the School’s Handbook of Professional Practice and abide by its ethical standards.
Fair, Inclusive and Safe Conduct
All students in the School of Journalism should feel they are participants in a respectful, fair and safe learning environment. Classrooms, newsrooms and online course delivery systems are spaces where everyone should feel welcomed and supported. The School expects students, staff and faculty to abide by the highest standards of collegial learning. The University has policies, procedures and resources to guide students’ experience, whether in a class or as part of a reporting assignment. If you are concerned about your learning environment you may take a range of steps to initiate a discussion or a process:
Meet with the course instructor: You are encouraged to discuss concerns about a particular course first with the instructor. This instructor may be able to address concerns informally. Such concerns may relate to grading, course content, interpersonal issues with other students, or any other issue. The instructor may also direct you to other resources within the University. If you have an unresolved issue with an instructor, you can also:
- Appeal a final grade in a course by filing a Request for Reassessment of a Final Grade
- Provide written comment on an instructor in the Student Ratings of Instruction, distributed near the end of the course. Evaluations are reviewed by the Director each year and used in tenure and promotion decisions for Faculty.
Meet with the Journalism School Director: The Director welcomes any comment on the experiences of students within the School. Concerns may be addressed informally — especially as they relate to the curriculum, academic environment and interpersonal issues. The Director may refer students with more specific or serious concerns to individual policies, procedures and resources of the University. Inclusion and respect for others are key values of the School. An experience of racism, intolerance or inequitable treatment will typically prompt cooperation between the Director and the Equity Officer in working toward immediate and longer-term resolutions.
- Write a letter to the School Director to express a strong concern about an experience in the School. The Director may bring it to a meeting of Journalism Faculty and will keep the letter on file.
Meet with the Equity Officer: King’s Equity Officer is available for consultation on any issue concerning equity, diversity, inclusion, discrimination and harassment. The officer administers the Policy and Procedures for Prevention of Discrimination and Harassment, found in the Yellow Book. If you have concerns about your experience in the School, you are encouraged to seek advice and assistance from the officer, who also receives complaints and administers the process for resolution under the policy. This policy is part of the University Code of Conduct, also found in the Yellow Book, which governs conduct by all members of the University community.
January 2021 Note: King’s is currently searching to fill a full-time vacancy in the position of Equity Officer. The results of the search will be announced as soon as they are available. In the meantime, inquiries and concerns may be directed to the University’s Human Resources Officer, Dolly McIntyre <dolly.mcintyre@ukings.ca>, who will ensure the matter is brought to the attention for action by the appropriate member of the University.
Meet with the Sexualized Violence Prevention and Response Officer: The SVPRO provides support around experiences of sexualized violence and administers King’s Sexualized Violence Policy. This support is confidential and can include informal discussion, academic accommodations, and assistance with disclosures and reports. All decisions regarding disclosure of sexualized violence are in the hands of the individual disclosing. Academic accommodations may be available to those who do not wish to make a formal report. The SVPRO is also available if you are supporting someone who has experienced sexualized violence. The SVPRO is Jordan Roberts <jordan.roberts@ukings.ca>, 902 229-6123.
Review the School’s safety guidelines: The School’s Handbook of Professional Practice contains safety guidelines for physical safety while reporting. To do journalism well, you must sometimes be uncomfortable, but you should never be unsafe. If you run into trouble or if you feel a situation might put your or others’ personal safety at risk, call your instructor right away.
Contacting the Police
Journalism students must talk to their instructor before they contact Halifax Regional Police or RCMP. On approval of their request, they must send the police an email from their official school account that is cc’d to their instructor.
Academic Integrity
At King’s and Dalhousie, we are guided in all of our work by the values of academic integrity:
honesty, trust, fairness, responsibility and respect. As a student, you are required to
demonstrate these values in all of the work you do. Plagiarism — stealing someone else’s work and presenting it as your own — is a form of academic fraud and unethical journalism. The most common instance involves copying material from the Internet without attributing it. If you have any doubt about proper citation for an academic paper or proper attribution in a piece of journalism, contact your instructor. For more information, consult the section on Intellectual Honesty on p. 19 of Dalhousie’s Graduate Studies Calendar (Find “PDF Versions” at the top of that page) or p. 34 of King’s academic calendar.
Accessibility
Students may request accommodation as a result of barriers to inclusion related to disability, religious obligation, or any characteristic under the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act. If you experience barriers related to the design, instruction, and/or experiences within this course please contact the Student Accessibility Centre. Please note that a classroom may contain specialized furniture and equipment. It is important that these items remain in the classroom, untouched, so that students who require them will be able to participate in the class.
Appeals
Disputes over academic performance and assessment will be dealt with according to the Academic Regulations of the School of Journalism. Students may appeal decisions of the Journalism Studies Committee to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. For more information, see p. 42 of King’s Academic Calendar.