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Investigative Journalism: Finding the Holy Sh*t Story

Course is closed.

WHEN
Wednesday, June 1, 7-10 p.m.

WHERE
mb classrooms
494 Broadway
(between Spring & Broome)
New York, NY

WHO
Ideal for any journalist looking to improve their reporting skills

PRICE
$65 ($50 for )
more info

Course Details

Forgive us for being vulgar, but Bob Woodward calls it "the holy sh*t story" ? a story that makes your jaw drop as you shriek, well, you know. That, in essence is what journalism should do: uncover fascinating stories that change the public dialogue. But in an era where journalism has been sullied by the likes of Jayson Blair and Stephen Glass, along with sloppy, agenda-based reporting everywhere you look, it isn't as easy to capture an editor's attention or convince him to look past his skepticism. In this introductory class, you'll learn how to find and report stories that shine... and sell them!

Investigative reporting is like taking a powerful flashlight into a basement. You think something might be lurking down there, but you don't know what it looks like or how big it might be. It takes skill, courage, and patience. Investigative reporting is how you find the news that would otherwise never be reported?the high cancer rates in a certain neighborhood, the fat expense accounts at the respected charity, or the racial profiling in a city's police department. You have a hot tip, or a just a strong suspicion, but how do you really nail the story?

In this seminar, you can expect to learn:
  • How to use public records to create a person?s background profile
  • Tricks for getting inside access to large institutions
  • Methods for building the trust and confidence of sources
  • How to find unlisted phone numbers and other hard-to-get data
  • How to organize reams of statistics and draw useful conclusions
  • How to convey complex issues simply and clearly for your readers
  • How to use narrative reporting to tell compelling stories
  • How to avoid being sued
  • How to freelance your story once you have one

Instructor Bio

Tom Zoellner's Courses

No courses available at this time.

Tom Zoellner
Tom Zoellner is a contributing editor for Men's Health magazine. During a twelve-year career in newspapers, he worked as a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, The Arizona Republic, and The Salt Lake Tribune and won numerous awards for his investigative stories. He is the author of The Heartless Stone: A Journey Through the World of Diamonds, Deceit and Desire (http://www.heartlessstone.com), and co-author of An Ordinary Man, the autobiography of Paul Rusesabagina, whose actions during the 1994 Rwandan genocide were portrayed in the movie Hotel Rwanda.

Testimonials


Tom offers excellent guidance on both structure and craft. If you have a longform story you've been itching to write, he will make sure you do it -- and do it well. -- Nadine Rubin, contributing editor, Harper's Bazaar and mediabistro.com instructor

"Following Tom's seminar, I was able to go back to the newsroom and start applying what I had learned the night before. I left the seminar energized and excited about journalism." -- Joshua Fisher, editor of The Lewisboro (N.Y.) Ledge

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