JOURN 120
Digital Research & Investigative Journalism
Whether it’s matters of national security, public health, or official misconduct, investigative reporters play a crucial role in a democracy, exposing events, realities and conditions that powerful interests would often prefer kept quiet. The best investigative reporters – such as Woodward and Bernstein, Seymour Hersh, Glenn Greenwald – change the way we think about the world.The objective of this course is to teach students the basic tools and techniques used in investigative reporting. We will explore how to find sources, obtain public records, and craft enterprising reporting into compelling stories that go behind the curtain of public life.
Topics
- A goal of this course is to make students proficient in how professional journalists investigate leads, use public records and other sources to unearth or verify buried or hidden information. By the end of this course students will be able to apply investigative techniques to everyday reporting as well as produce one longer form investigative piece. Students will also have built a working knowledge of the different types of public records available, including understanding how to access court and corporate documents, and be comfortable in using these documents as they report stories. Students whose work is of the highest standards may be published in the Daily Cal or another outlet.
Official catalogue course objectives and student learning outcomes
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027