Fall 2003

3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays in 201 Paul Miller Building.

Dr. Stan Ketterer, assistant professor
316B Paul Miller Building

Office hours: 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Wednesdays and 1 to 3 p.m. Thursdays, or by appointment.
Office phone: 744-8270
E-mail: kstan@okstate.edu

This course introduces you to the techniques of computer-assisted reporting. Building upon your basic reporting and critical thinking skills, the course will show you how to use the computer as a tool in news gathering and data analysis. You will learn how to find and critically evaluate information from the Internet, principally the World Wide Web. Next, you will review statistics and mathematical relationships, such percentage change, and analyze data using a spreadsheet. You will download data from the Web and analyze it. Finally, you will learn how to use database managers to extract the information that you need from hundreds of computer records. Your training will include how to use a basic computer programming language to ask questions of your data. Additionally, you will learn about the legal aspects of computer-assisted reporting. During the semester you also will do three stories for possible publication or broadcast.

You are expected to have some experience in journalism or have taken Media Style and Structure and a lower level reporting class. Consequently, you are expected to use correct grammar, word usage, punctuation, spelling and Associated Press style.

This course is designed to teach you how to use the computer to gather the news and report it more effectively. While stressing the importance of basic reporting and critical thinking skills, the course will show you how to use the computer to find primary, secondary and people sources and analyze data that will become the basis for asking questions for stories. The data analysis is only the beginning. You must determine the meaning of the information and show your viewers, readers, or listeners how it affects them.

You will learn how to find and critically evaluate news and information from the Internet, principally the World Wide Web. In addition, you will learn how to use information from the Internet as the basis for a story and do the reporting and writing needed to submit it for possible publication.

In the second part of the course you will learn how to use a spreadsheet to analyze data and download it from the Web. Additionally, you will learn how to use statistics and mathematical relationships to inform your readers. You will download information from the Web into a spreadsheet and analyze it. Your analysis will be the basis for asking questions for your second story. You will conduct interviews and gather more information to determine the meaning of the information and put a human face on it. Again, you will submit your second story for possible publication or broadcast.

In the third part of the course, you will learn to create a database. You will learn to use a database manager to find the information that you need from among hundreds and even thousands of computer records. The data can then be downloaded into a spreadsheet for further analysis. You will learn to interview your data using Structured Query Language, or SQL. Finally, you will write a third story for publication or broadcast.

No textbook is required for this course. You will receive handouts during class periods.

All stories must be turned in to a student media outlet for possible publication. If you do your stories for print, you must send them via electronic mail to the Daily O’Collegian at news@ocolly.com. Send the instructor an electronic copy at the same time. If you do broadcast stories, you will need two videotapes or audio tapes, including one for the instructor.

Professional journalists keep up with the news. Consequently, every day you must read the Daily O’Collegian and either the Daily Oklahoman or the Tulsa World. In addition, you must watch at least one local and one national newscast from an Oklahoma City or a Tulsa television station. I also recommend that you read national news magazines, such as Time, and listen to 91.6 KOSU-FM, our state’s National Public Radio affiliate.

This course is designed to teach you the basic skills of computer-assisted reporting. It is divided into three parts: the Internet, spreadsheets and database managers. You will do exercises to learn the computer-assisted reporting skills in each part. In addition, you will do three stories for possible publication or broadcast via student media in the School of Journalism and Broadcasting. You can do your stories by yourself or with one other person. Broadcast majors especially are encouraged to do broadcast stories. You will take two midterms and a final exam, which will involve application of your CAR skills.

You will begin by learning how to find and to evaluate information on the Internet. Next, you will use the Oklahoma Web Resources site, which was created by your instructor. The class will find links to create a page on the site. This past fall CAR students provided many of the links for the Music page.

To further apply what you have learned, you will do a story based on some Internet resources. As always, the information provides a basis for more reporting. Your story must meet the standards for publication or broadcast, including having balanced and authoritative sources, because it will be submitted to a student media outlet. The media outlet determines whether it will be used.

The middle of the course will center on spreadsheets. You will review statistics and some basic math, and analyze data using Excel. After learning some basic techniques, you will download data from the Web. Then, you will learn intermediate and advanced Excel techniques and do exercises to perfect them. You will download some data from the Web and analyze it for your second story. Again, you will do more reporting to find out the impact of the information and its effect on your viewers, listeners or readers. Your story will be submitted for possible publication or broadcast.

Although some of the subjects that we will cover, such as budgets, may be familiar to you, do not hesitate to ask questions about the reporting process as well as the computer-assisted portion of the class. Anyone familiar with a computer can squeeze answers out of a computer, but it takes a competent journalist to ask the right questions.

The last part of the course will focus on database managers. You will learn how to create a database using Visual FoxPro. Then, you will learn how to query it using Structured Query Language, which can be used to question any database. Much of your time will be spent doing exercises to learn SQL. You also will learn another way to query the data and explore how the law applies to CAR. In addition, you will learn how to screen your data. You also will write a story using a spreadsheet or database manager.

You will do three out-of-class stories during the semester. The first story must be partially based on information taken from the Internet and verified in most cases. The second story will be based on an analysis of information that you acquire from a government agency or download from the Internet. You must use Microsoft Excel to analyze the data. The third story will be similar, but you can use Microsoft Excel, Visual FoxPro or both to analyze the data.

You can do your stories by yourself or in a group of no more than two. Broadcast students are encouraged to do their stories in broadcast style, and the groups should aid you with your camera work or recording. Further, you must follow the guidelines established by the broadcasting faculty for checking out equipment, including obtaining a card, and for its use. Checkout times must not interfere with broadcast labs. Deadlines for returning equipment must be strictly followed to ensure that broadcast students have the equipment they need for daytime classes. If you do a group story, each person in your group will receive the same grade. Consequently, think carefully about the composition of your group.

When each story is assigned, you will get a handout explaining the parameters of the assignment, including required length and number of sources. EACH STORY MUST CONTAIN AT LEAST FOUR SOURCES QUOTED IN THE STORY. AT LEAST ONE SOURCE MUST BE AUTHORITATIVE. Authoritative sources are experts and others who have specialized knowledge about the topic.

You will have the option of redoing the first two stories. If time permits, journalists often will rework a story several times before publication or broadcast. It is important, however, that you do an accurate and complete story in the beginning because most journalists do not get a second chance. Consequently, the first submission will count 55 percent of your grade if you choose to redo it. The last version will count 45 percent.

If you rewrite the story, you must number the grammar, punctuation and style mistakes on the original story. Correct those mistakes on the revised version and mark the corrections with the same numbers. In addition, put those numbers on a separate sheet of paper and write down the grammar, punctuation or spelling rule that applies. To receive credit, the changes must be correct and the appropriate rule must be cited.

If you correct only the editing mistakes, the highest score you can receive on the rewrite is the grade that you received for reporting and writing. However, if you correct the editing mistakes and the other mistakes that the instructor pointed out, such as not writing the story in High Five style or burying the lead, you can get a score of up to 100 points, depending on the changes made. If you make other substantive changes, you must explain what you did and why on the separate sheet of paper.

In addition, all editing mistakes must be corrected. You cannot delete the editing mistakes and receive any credit for them. Instead, correct them and put the applicable rule on a separate sheet of paper. Editing mistakes include Associated Press style, grammar, punctuation, word usage and spelling.

Because this is a professional school, you will be expected to produce stories that meet the standards of the industry. You will turn the first version of the story into the media outlet and the instructor. The media outlet will determine whether your stories will be broadcast or published. Print reporters must submit two paper copies of their story and one electronic one. Broadcast reporters must submit two videotapes or two audio tapes and two copies of the script. The script must be complete, including all quotes and comments on the tape.

The in-class exercises are designed to help you perfect your computer-assisted reporting skills. Because you may not be familiar with many of the techniques and programs, you will not receive letter grades on the exercises, although they will be corrected and handed back to you. If you do the exercise, you will get full credit for it. If you miss the class and do not have one of four acceptable excuses, you will get a zero for the exercise. Each exercise will count 20 points, and they represent 10 percent of your grade.
Naturally, you must learn the CAR skills used in the exercises. They will be used to find and analyze data for your stories, and you will be tested on them during exams. The exams will largely ask you to apply what you have learned in the exercises.

Naturally, you must learn the CAR skills used in the exercises. They will be used to find and analyze data for your stories, and you will be tested on them during exams. The exams will largely ask you to apply what you have learned in the exercises.

Because you are taking this course in a professional school, you will be expected to think and act like a journalist. Consequently, you will be expected to meet the standards of a journalist, including avoiding conflicts of interests, having an adequate number of sources for stories, ensuring the accuracy of the information in your stories, meeting deadlines, editing your stories, and keeping up with the news.

Journalists should be independent, objective reporters of the news. If you have a vested interest in the people, groups or organizations that you cover, the public likely will perceive you are slanting or biasing the news. In addition, you could unintentionally slant the news, fellow group members could put pressure on you to slant the news, or the public simply could perceive that the news is slanted because of your group membership. In any case, this perception could damage the reputation of the journalist and the media outlet where he or she works. As a result, the media outlet could lose credibility.

Thus, you WILL NOT be allowed to cover groups, teams or organizations in which you, a relative, or a roommate is a member. In addition, you will not be allowed to cover the department or school in which you are a major, such as the School of Journalism and Broadcasting. If you are a member of an athletic team, you cannot cover another athletic team or athletic club. FURTHERMORE, YOU CANNOT USE RELATIVES, FRIENDS, ROOMMATES, MEMBERS OF THIS CLASS, OR JOURNALISM OR AGRICULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS MAJORS AS SOURCES IN YOUR STORIES. IF YOU USE THESE SOURCES IN ANY STORY, YOU WILL RECEIVE A ZERO FOR THE ASSIGNMENT.

When any out-of-class story is assigned, you will receive guidelines explaining the parameters of the story and the expectations of the instructor. A minimum number of sources quoted in the story will be specified, although you are encouraged to have more sources. This number is designed to meet the minimum standards of a professional journalist for the publication of a story. Sources are defined as people to whom you attribute worthwhile information and quote or paraphrase in the story.

YOU MUST HAVE AT LEAST FOUR PEOPLE SOURCES QUOTED IN YOUR STORIES. THESE PEOPLE SOURCES MUST BE FROM INTERVIEWS THAT YOU HAVE CONDUCTED. Again, you cannot use relatives, friends, roommates, members of this class, and journalism or agricultural communications majors as sources. "Could not contact the source" does not count as a source. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE MINIMUM SOURCES, YOUR STORY GRADE WILL BE DROPPED 10 POINTS FOR EACH SOURCE BELOW THE MINIMUM. The points will be deducted from the score that you would normally have received for reporting and writing. For example, if you would have received an 80 and had three sources instead of the required four, you would receive no higher than a 70.

Including the required number of sources, however, does not guarantee you a passing grade. Stories will be judged on their merits.

When dealing with sources, identify yourself as a student in a computer-assisted reporting class at the School of Journalism and Broadcasting at Oklahoma State University. Tell the source that your story will be submitted to the Daily O’Collegian or a broadcast news outlet for possible publication. As outlined by university policy, the O’Colly editors or broadcast news outlet will determine publication.

The credibility of your story and ultimately the reputation of your publication depends on the accuracy of the information that you provide. Consequently, you must check the accuracy of the information in your story with your sources before you submit the story. THIS MEANS THAT YOU MUST CONTACT YOUR SOURCES AND READ BACK TO THEM THE PART OF YOUR STORY PERTAINING TO THEM. You will be required to change your story only if it is factually incorrect; therefore, we recommend that you tape-record your interviews to prevent disputes about quotes. When in doubt about whether to change your story after your accuracy check, contact your instructor.br>
YOU MUST INCLUDE A LIST OF THE NAMES, TITLES, AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS OF YOUR SOURCES AT THE END OF EVERY STORY THAT YOU SUBMIT. IF YOU DO NOT INCLUDE THE LIST, 30 POINTS WILL BE DEDUCTED FROM YOUR GRADE.

Instructors may check with sources to ensure that the information in the story has been verified. Sources also will be called if the instructors have any doubts about whether the interviews or accuracy checks were conducted. IF THE INSTRUCTOR DETERMINES THAT THE ACCURACY CHECK HAS NOT BEEN MADE, YOU WILL RECEIVE A ZERO FOR THAT STORY. A SECOND OFFENSE WILL RESULT IN AN AUTOMATIC "F" FOR THE COURSE.

Stories must be submitted to the O’Colly or broadcast news outlet by the deadlines in this syllabus. Professional journalists must meet daily deadlines, and you must meet your deadlines as well. IF YOUR STORY IS NOT SUBMITTED BY THE DEADLINE, YOU WILL RECEIVE A ZERO UNLESS YOU HAVE ONE OF THE ACCEPTABLE EXCUSES OUTLINED UNDER THE CLASS ATTENDANCE POLICY AND YOU HAVE NOTIFIED THE INSTRUCTOR IN ADVANCE!

Journalists must do their jobs daily. They must get to work on time, cover events on time, write complete and accurate stories, and make their deadlines to serve their readers, viewers and listeners. Reporters who frequently miss work, arrive late for events such as news conferences, or miss deadlines will be fired. Missed deadlines can mean late papers and canceled subscriptions or missed broadcasts and frustrated viewers who change the channel.

If you miss class without an acceptable excuse, you will receive a ZERO for the exercise and any work that is due, such as a story.

The acceptable excuses are: the death of a family member, personal illness, required attendance at an official school function, and verifiable emergency. YOU MUST NOTIFY THE INSTRUCTOR BEFORE YOU MISS A CLASS OR A LAB, EXCEPT WHEN AN EMERGENCY HAPPENS ON THE WAY TO CLASS. If an emergency happens on the way to class, you must notify the instructor or school on the SAME DAY. If the instructor cannot be reached, leave a message with an office assistant at the School of Journalism and Broadcasting. The phone number is (405) 744-8260.

STUDENTS WHO FAIL TO NOTIFY THE INSTRUCTOR BEFORE MISSING A CLASS OR LAB WILL RECEIVE A ZERO FOR WORK DUE AND/OR PERFORMED DURING THAT CLASS OR LAB UNLESS IT IS A VERIFIABLE EMEGENCY.

Your illness must be serious to be excused. Thus, you must see a medical practitioner and get a signed note on official stationary from your doctor or the student health clinic

For an official school function, you must present a signed note BEFORE missing class or lab. The note must be on official school stationary, and it must be signed by the appropriate university official. If you do not have a signed note on official school stationary, you will receive a ZERO for the work due or that you missed.

For a death in the family, you must notify the instructor BEFORE missing class or lab. When you return, you must give the instructor a copy of the program for the funeral. If you do not have a copy of the program, you will receive a ZERO for the work due or that you missed.

If you have an emergency, you must provide documentation to the instructors, such as an accident report or towing bill. If you do not have documentation, you will receive a ZERO for the work due or that you missed.

missed.

When you have an acceptable excuse, you are responsible for finding out what you missed and arranging to make it up with the instructor. MISSED WORK MUST BE MADE UP WITHIN ONE WEEK OF WHEN YOU RETURN TO CLASS, OR YOU WILL RECEIVE A ZERO.

Honesty has a special meaning for journalists because our credibility depends upon truthfulness in communicating with thousands of people each day. Academic honesty also is fundamental to the activities and principles of a university. Members of the university community must be confident that each person’s work has been responsibly and honorably acquired, developed and presented.

ALL THE WORK YOU DO IN THIS CLASS MUST BE YOUR WORK ALONE. In journalistic writing, plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Using someone else’s material and claiming it is yours, including all or parts of stories written or broadcast by others and passages taken directly from stories in the morgue or off the Internet without attribution.
• Handing in someone else’s work as your own. This includes collaborating on a story with another person, except for two-person groups. It also includes having someone rewrite or edit your work.

• Making up quotes, taking quotes from other news sources, inventing sources, and not interviewing sources who appear in your stories. You must accurately quote and represent all sources.
• Not giving appropriate attribution or citation of a source where information has been obtained, including documents, books, articles, World Wide Web sites, etc.

WHEN IN DOUBT ABOUT PLAGIARISM, CONSULT WITH YOUR INSTRUCTOR. IF THE INSTRUCTOR DETERMINES A PERSON OR DOCUMENT HAS NOT BEEN ATTRIBUTED, THE STUDENT WILL GET A ZERO FOR THE ASSIGNMENT. MOREOVER, THE STUDENT WILL RECEIVE AN "F" FOR THE COURSE AND THE INSTRUCTOR WILL TURN THE STUDENT IN TO UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS FOR FURTHER DISCIPLINARY ACTION FOR QUOTES AND PARAPHRASES FROM PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT INTERVIEWED, FICTICIOUS SOURCES, OR A SUBSEQUENT UNATTRIBUTED REFERENCE. THE INSTRUCTOR WILL FOLLOW THE PROCEDURES AND POLICIES AS OUTLINED BY OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY AND THE BOARD OF REGENTS.

You will write three stories, do in-class exercises, and take two midterms and a final examination, which is required by the university. Each exercise will count 20 points.

Here’s how your final grade will be determined:

In most cases, the following final grades will be given:

Students who have questions about the grading of assignments and tests should talk first with the instructor. If we cannot resolve the matter, you may visit or write Dr. Tom Weir, director of the School of Journalism and Broadcasting. Dr. Weir can appoint a committee to look into the situation.

CAR stories

During the semester, you will be required to write three CAR stories outside of class. Stories will count more as you become more proficient at doing them. The following shows how much each story will count as a part of your story grade, which will count 45 percent of your overall grade:

Story Criteria

YYou will have the option of doing your stories for print or broadcast. These stories must be ready for publication in the Daily O’Collegian or broadcast on KWBY or "SJB News." Your story will first be graded on reporting and writing, and then points will be deducted for editing and sources. When grading you stories, the instructor will consider the items on the following list. Make sure you have covered all of the items.

CAR Story Checklist

[ ] Is your story newsworthy?
[ ] Have you answered all of the High Five questions?
[ ] Is your story complete? Have you answered the readers’ main questions?
[ ] Do you have the required number of sources?
[ ] Have you included appropriate sources for balance and fairness?
[ ] Have you included documents as evidence? Are they all from primary sources?

[ ] Does the lead contain the news?
[ ] Is the lead backed up in the story?
[ ] Is the story written in High Five style? Are the elements all on top?
[ ] Does your story have a clear focus or theme that holds it together?
[ ] Have you tailored the story to its intended audience?
[ ] Have you attributed quotes and information correctly?
[ ] Is the story well organized? Have you developed it logically?
[ ] Does each paragraph develop a single idea? Are paragraphs three sentences or less?
[ ] Does the story flow well? Do the transitions guide readers?
[ ] Is your writing clear and concise? Can readers understand all of your sentences?
[ ] Are all opinions attributed to a source? Has the writer kept out of the story?

[ ] Is your information accurate? Have your double-checked all your facts?
[ ] Have you corrected for spelling? Have you triple-checked names and proper nouns?
[ ] Have you corrected for grammar and word usage?
[ ] Have you corrected for punctuation? Have you double-checked quotes?
[ ] Have you corrected for Associated Press style?
[ ] If you are doing video, does it match the script? Are your shots in focus and are they well-framed?
[ ] Is the color correct and the audio clear?
[ ] If you are reporting for radio, is there any natural sound? Are the audio levels equal?

Your basic reporting and writing grade for each story will be determined by how well it meets these criteria. We will be using the familiar 100-point scale.

Journalists must be accurate, and your story must be free of grammatical, spelling and other errors. Our believability depends on it. Grammar, spelling, punctuation and style are the building blocks of your stories. If these basics are incorrect, readers, viewers and listeners will question the accuracy of other information as well. Your beginning journalism courses required you to know these basics. Consequently, we assume you know them and will take off for them starting with your first assignment.

Ten points also will be deducted for insufficient sources and High Five labels.

Points also will be deducted for insufficient sources and conflicts of interests. For example, if you receive 85 points for your story grade, i.e. reporting and writing, but 20 points are deducted because of spelling, grammar, punctuation and AP style errors, your final grade would be 65 points, a D.

When you get back your original story or script, you will receive a checklist that assesses its strengths and weaknesses. Your instructor, however, will use minimal marking on the story itself, especially for grammar, Associated Press style and punctuation. The instructor will indicate the nature of the problems with your story, and you will be responsible for finding the mistakes and correcting them during the rewrite.

You will be communicating in various ways throughout the semester with the instructor and your classmates. The instructor will post messages to the class via e-mail, and you can post messages to the class and lab instructors as well. Consequently, you must have an e-mail account to participate in this class.

The syllabus, some readings and links to Internet sites will be posted on the class Web site. Readings can be read with a Web browser or printed out. The URL for the class Web site is:

http://www.cas.okstate.edu/jb/faculty/ketterer/car.htm

* NOTE: The instructor reserves the right to change this schedule to meet the needs of the class, including accommodating guest speakers. Additional readings will likely be added to the list, including some that will be handed out in class.