1. Pitching & Investigating
JRN275
Quinnipiac University
Fall 2017
Dr. Molly Yanity

2. From Gaines, Ch. 2 Types of documents Access to documents
Database searches
Validating through cross-reference
Attribution

3. Documents Document: information that is preserved Paper Electronic
Medium makes no difference

4. Documents Public documents Published Information
Biographies, trade magazines, news releases, scientific articles
Operational Public Records
Meeting minutes, budgets, contracts, payrolls, elections
Disclosure Records
Licenses, lawsuits, inspections reports, political contributions, SEC filings

5. Operational vs. Disclosure
Documents
Operational vs. Disclosure
Operational documents arise from public organizations conducting regular business
Disclosure documents release some private information to the public in exchange for public services
See Gaines Page 27

6. Documents Public documents
Publicly owned, government documents are accessible to anyone, under certain parameters defined by law*
*Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request may be needed

7. Documents Private Documents
Personal letters, bank statements, school papers, medical records, journals, diaries, other correspondence

8. Documents Private Documents
Information from private documents may be used only with permission of the owner

9. Public Document Access
Operational records are accessible through state and federal Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) laws
Disclosure records are not covered under FOIA because they should already be readily available under other laws (examples: disclosure laws, open-meeting rules for lawmakers

10. FOIA Requests
Review three examples on pages 31-33

11. Database searches Internet (with caution)
Public Library documents (microfilm)
Periodical guides and indices

12. Get Ready To Research! Define your topic/issue Research background
Articles, books, Internet, personal contacts
Assess, validate the data
Write the story (or facts)
Cite sources

13. Questions?