Investigative Journalism

3 credits · Undergraduate

(3 hrs Lecture) This course provides an overview of the history, theory, and practice of investigative journalism in Canada, placing the form in historical context and surveying its major practitioners in print and broadcast. The theoretical framework of investigative journalism is analyzed and parallels are drawn to social sciences. Students learn some practical tools of the investigative journalist, including search strategies, chronologies, computer-assisted reporting, online research methods, study and analysis of public records, and access-to-information methods. The ethics and legalities of investigative journalism are surveyed and case studies analyzed. Requisite Courses: Any section of Academic Writing or exemption from the writing requirement and completion of 24 credit hours [prerequisite(s)].