Accountability Journalism

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

This course will offer a highly interactive experience in which students will learn the art of identifying reliable sources and cultivating them as sources of information as they seek the truth, one of the key tenets of ethical journalism. Students will examine the difference between fact and spin and truth and lies and how to identify which is which, especially as it applies to the political sphere. Students will use the Freedom of Information resources to try to get to the truth of what those in power are saying. They will analyze fact-checking operations of a broad range of news organizations and interview a journalist who has fact-checking as part of their portfolio to help them understand what skills are important. They will acquire skills to do their own fact-checking, both during live simulations and after-the-fact responses, and to identify and point out misinformation that is spreading across social media platforms. Clear, concise and accurate writing and reporting will be emphasized throughout the course. This class will build on the skills that students acquired during the Journalism Ethics, Reporting and Newswriting and Digital Essentials courses, as well as Journalism electives like Political Reporting and Investigative Reporting.