Teaching resources

TEACHING A SEMESTER-LONG REPORTING COURSE ON PRESS FREEDOM

Note to instructors: This three-hour, once-a-week, course centers around giving each student the name of an imprisoned journalist and assigning the student to report and write an in-depth portrait of that journalist. My recommendation is not to waste time having the students find a journalist on their own. CPJ.org’s annual list of imprisoned journalists is the most accurate and careful in labeling people journalists. Since it is not updated throughout the day, please check with a careful, online search to see whether a journalist you’ve chosen to give out has been released.

This class is light on reading, heavy on reporting and writing. In the last three or four weeks, I give students 45 minutes of class time for reporting on the phone or from my office if they need to make international calls.

Here is the template I use for the story outline: link to outline template
Here are my guidelines for footnotes: Footnotes

Further research tools can be found here: Research Tools

The Washington Post published a series that included the reporting and writing of our students. Here is a link to the series:

SAMPLE SYLLABUS: Students will examine the state of independent media overseas, its role in emerging civil societies, as well as censorship by governments and criminal organizations and the goals of U.S. national security policy and institutions in promoting freedom of the press overseas. I hope this class will prompt you to reflect on your own career in one of the safest places in the world to be a journalist.

Each student will be assigned an imprisoned journalist to profile. Students will examine the journalist’s career, arrest, trial (if) and the limits on press freedom in his or her country. Students will identify important aspects of the bilateral relationship with the United States and evaluate the meaningfulness of U.S. policy on press freedom abroad.

We will also explore select U.S. national security agencies and their interactions with Congress and the White House.

This class requires original research and reporting. Students will learn how to report in the nation’s capital and overseas.

Interviews must be conducted by phone or in-person. Overseas interviews can be conducted by phone, Skype, e-mail and social media apps. We will learn security measures for communicating with people in repressive countries.

Learning Goals:

— To understand the role and power of public affairs journalism in world affairs.

— To identify obstacles that journalists face overseas and the personal sacrifices they make to do their work.

— To become familiar with select U.S. national security agencies.

— To understand the U.S. foreign policy process and how to report on it.

— To deepen your ability to find things out.

— To explore the question: who is a journalist?

— To understand the global nature of information and its role in self-governance.

Class Requirements:

Weekly Memo: A short, single-spaced, summary of your reporting and research discoveries (in 12 pt Times New Roman font) is due each week by 5 pm Friday, filed on ELMS. I will grade this and make suggestions. Memos may be discussed in class.

Weekly Research Log: Keep a record of calls, emails, interviews, sources and copies of research articles as you go on. Update with memo on ELMS.

Minimum Reporting Requirement: Students must conduct at least ten phone or in-person interviews and do extensive on-line research. Email and social media interviews are permitted for overseas work.

Class Format: Each class will be divided into three or four parts: Discussion of readings/video; a deep dive into one subject; “how to” reporting tactics and exercises; guest interviewee.

Weekly Readings: Readings and videos each week and www.IFEX.org.

Class Participation: Discussion is central to this class. Students are expected to bring reporting, research and writing problems to class and to suggest solutions to other students’ obstacles. If you are uncomfortable talking in class, see me early on. I expect students to interview our guest speakers, not just listen to them. Each one can provide you with source ideas, information you might use in your story and other valuable bits of info.

Mid-Term: Students are required to give a 10-minute oral presentation of their reporting and research progress and to write a detailed draft of “the story so far.”

Draft and Final: A 1,500- to 2,000-word profile of your assigned imprisoned journalist.

The profile must be an intimate, compelling portrait of the journalist, the milieu in which he/she operated, the role played by outside forces in encouraging or initiating his/her incarceration or attempting to gain his/her release. “Outside forces” means forces beyond the judicial authorities that sentenced the journalist, such as political and military organizations or, externally, the United States, other governments, multinational organizations or business interests.

The final article/research paper must be heavily supported with footnotes for fact-checking purposes. All the footnoted material, including notes and transcripts of interviews, other articles, etc., must accompany the final submission and be clearly marked.

My goal is to publish the best of these projects on Capital News Service or elsewhere. Funding for foreign travel to enhance reporting is available for one student.

Class Restrictions: Absolutely no electronics except when needed for class exercises. Developing superior listening and note-taking skills is part of becoming a solid journalist. Some speakers may be on background or even off-the-record. Purposefully breaking these ground-rules will result in expulsion from the class, as it would at a media outlet.

Deadlines:

— Submit weekly memos by 5 pm Fridays
— Mid-term outline of 1-3 pages is due Mar 27. A half grade-point will be deducted for each day it is late.
— A draft of the final article/research paper is due Apr 17 in class. Same late penalty applies.
— Final article due May 12 by 5 p.m. Send an electronic Word Document copy to me at dpriest@umd.edu with attached
supporting material. Same late penalty applies.

Grading:

Final project: 50 percent

Class Participation: 20 percent

Mid-term outline and presentation: 10 percent

Weekly memos: 20 percent.

Students with Disabilities: For special accommodations, see me soonest.

The Instructor: Dana Priest is the Knight Chair in Public Affairs Journalism. She has been a journalist for three decades, most of it as a national security reporter for The Washington Post. She covered the Pentagon, CIA and other intelligence agencies as a beat reporter. Since 2005 she has worked exclusively on investigations. She uncovered CIA secret prisons overseas, neglectful conditions for wounded soldiers and Marines at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, deplorable conditions in Immigration and Customs Enforcement jail medicine, and out-of-control growth of U.S. counter-terrorism agencies and contractors.

Priest has won many awards and written two best-selling books: The Mission: Waging War and Keeping Peace with America’s Military (W.W. Norton, 2003) and Top Secret America (Little Brown & Co., 2011). She lives in Washington DC with her husband and has a son and daughter, both college students. For more, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_Priest

Karin Assmann: We are extremely fortunate to have an award-winning documentary filmmaker and multi-platform reporter as our teaching assistant. Karin grew up in Germany and has been a reporter for Spiegel TV for more than 20 years. She also has her own production company and is a Ph.D. candidate at Merrill.

A Note on Academic Integrity: Do your own work. Integrity issues will be forwarded to the dean and the university’s Office of Judicial Affairs. Failure to abide by the university’s policies will result in an “XF” course grade and possibly more severe consequences, such as expulsion. Here is the university’s Code of Academic Integrity: http://www.president.umd.edu/policies/iii100a.html and a further discussion of the issues: http://osc.umd.edu/OSC/StudentsInfo.aspx.

For all other university undergraduate policies, see: http://www.ugst.umd.edu/courserelatedpolicies.html

 

Class Schedule

The schedule is approximate and will change with speaker availability, etc.

Jan. 30: Uncovering the Truth about Journalists Overseas

Explanation of class, assignments and requirements, imprisoned journalist assignments, introductions, goals, web and social media searching techniques, in class exercise: getting past the switchboard; elements of a profile. Guest speakers: Delphine Halgand, Reporters Without Borders

Feb. 6: Documenting the Dangerous Life of Journalists Abroad

In Class: discussion of IFEX news and other reading and video; five-minute presentation by each student on their assigned country’s media environment; comparing lists of sources found; in class assignment: talking with experts; Guest: Serap Rada, Hubert Humphrey Program director and fellows

Before Class Reporting Assignment: a-extensive online clip search of your journalist and your country’s press freedom issues. Make a list of people quoted in each story, find and contact them b-find the Congressional Research Service report on your country. Make a list of footnoted sources and begin calling c-start a list of press advocacy groups, think tanks and country experts.

Call three sources, minimum. Send 10 emails, minimum. Summarize what you learned from on-line research and interviews in your memo. Memo has two parts: a-Summary of discoveries, followed by b-the running log of people called, emails sent, links to clips and other research

Assignments before class:

IFEX.org: what happened in your region and country? Plan to discuss. When reading the following, make notes of the elements of this profile for discussion.

Washington Post: Dogged Reporting in Azerbaijan landed a U.S.-trained Journalist in Prison

Watch:

Washington Post Video: I could feel the bullets passing over me…

Feb. 13: US Government’s Competing Agencies and Agendas

In Class: The role of the State Department and Pentagon in pressing for press freedom (handouts, State Department phone book) in class exercise: find State Department Bureau of Democracy, Labor and Human Rights reports; developing your own source circle; discussion of Freedom House reports; including quick student summary of your country’s rating. Finding the local diaspora. Guest: Waseem from Pakistan

Assignments before class:

Reporting: a-make at least 3 new calls and follow up from previous calls. Send out more emails. b– Find DC-based foreign reporters and US- or European-based diaspora media from your country and call or email them. Bring in their names and contact info. You will be given 45 minutes in class to call people on this list and others. We will discuss strategies, approaches to different sources. Update memo, due Fri. 5 p.m.

Watch: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/2015/07/25/living-like-a-fugitive/

Read: Find Freedom House’s “Freedom of the Media 2016 report.” Read the executive summary and section on your journalist’s country. Be prepared to present a summary of your country’s ratings and trends in class.

Feb. 20: How Washington Works: Finding Sources

Think of the nation’s capital as a small town of people networked together in different ways. The importance of “formers,” the revolving door; think tanks, lobbyists, non-profits and other sources; in class exercise: finding and talking to experts; reading discussion; student presentation of English-language foreign news outlets. Guest: Sunlight Foundation

Assignments Before Class:

Reporting: a-Email, then follow up with a call to a State Department official; b-Find the name and work location/contact info of the last two ambassadors to your country and bring to class. c-Find English-language online news outlet for your country. Bring into class.

Watch “How Government Works” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bf3CwYCxXw

And, read and watch: https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/censor-or-die-the-death-of-mexican-news-in-the-age-of-drug-cartels/2015/12/09/23acf3ae-8a26-11e5-9a07-453018f9a0ec_story.html

 

Feb. 27: U.S. Government’s Support of Independent Media Abroad

Using USG media outlets and US-funded non-governmental organizations as sources; Student summaries of RFE/RL and VOA reports on your country. Using SIGNAL and Viber to communicate, using social media for finding people overseas; Guest: IREX

Assignments Before Class:

Readings: Read a year’s worth of news on your country at www.rferl.org.or VOA.gov (skip IFEX this week)

Reporting: Identify and bring to class the names of the RFE/RL and VOA reporters for your country. Reach out to them for interviews, meetings; continue contacting/interviewing family, friends, colleagues of your journalist overseas.

March 6: The Impact of Social Media on Press Freedom

The birth and vibrant life of the underground media to move societies à la “the Arab Spring,” and the growing efforts by states to crack down on it. Using social media, in-class exercise. Discussion of The Outline. Guest: Sahar Mohamed Khamis, UMD School of Communications

http://www.comm.umd.edu/people/faculty/khamis

Assignments Before Class:

Reporting: Get in touch with two former ambassadors. Find at least two other “formers” and contact them. Identify at least two experts at Washington based think tanks, get in touch with them and bring their names to class. You will have a 45-minute in class reporting session to call others.

Reading: Chapter Eight. Andy Carvin, Distant Witness, an excerpt; also explore Berkman Center’s “Internet Monitor,” especially the “Control” Section: https://thenetmonitor.org/

March 13: Mid Semester Presentations and Outlines Due

In Class: 10-minute presentation of “the story so far.” Guest: Press Uncuffed representatives

Assignments Before Class:

Reporting: Finish enough reporting to write a preliminary outline which you will use to make you presentation and then hand in.

Reading: Watch “Democracy on Deadline.”

March 20: Spring Break

March 27: Visit to Foreign Embassy in Washington DC. Outlines handed back

By next class: rework outlines, do readings, continue reporting, see below.

 

April 3: Writing the Story

In Class: Detailed Discussion of the Elements of a Profile; lede-writing/editing exercise; discuss source circles and reporting exercise. You will have 45 minutes to report in class. Guest: Writer

Assignments Before Class:

Reporting: Broaden your source base, hound people who haven’t called back. Your drafts are due soon. Make your own Source Circle; bring to class to hand in.

Readings: Watch the rest of: https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/c/series/global-threats-to-a-free-press ; three ledes from past student papers posted on ELMS; ledes from Washington Post Arab Spring and Pakistan “Journalists in Peril” series.

April 10: The National Security Council/Writing Session II

In Class: The role of the National Security Council; Cold-calling embassies and the PAO; practice writing the #1 context section; 45 minutes of in-class reporting. A writing session with Jacqui Banaszynzki, Missouri School of Journalism via Skype.

Assignments Before Class:

Reporting: Find and bring to class the name and phone number of the PAO at the U.S. embassy in your country; Finish what is needed for drafts.

Reading: Your embassy webpage, all its pages. Karen DeYoung, Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/how-the-obama-white-house-runs-foreign-policy/2015/08/04/2befb960-2fd7-11e5-8353-1215475949f4_story.html.

 April 17: The Role of Lobbyists in Washington and Foreign Policy

In Class: Hand in drafts; Finding and calling lobbyists who might help; footnotes described; 45-minutes in class reporting. Guest speaker: Former student. She will describe finding her Iranian journalist, writing her draft and reorganizing for the final paper. Guest: Former state department diplomat/former Ambassador

Assignment Before Class:

Reporting: DRAFTS DUE TODAY IN CLASS!!! Go to www.FARA.gov and bring in the names of the lobbyists for your country and the names of other organizations your lobbyists work for, found at https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/. Bring to class to discuss.

Watch: Charlie Wilson’s War (Movie); Read: Former student’s story

April 24: Drafts Handed Back and Unfinished business

In Class: Researching, writing and editing context paragraphs, in-depth analysis of your drafts and discussion of continuing obstacles; writing and editing the Context #1 section of your profile; 45 minutes in class for reporting.

Assignment Before Class:

Reporting Assignment: Finish up calls to foreign embassies in the United States, lobbyists and other interviews. You MUST get the other side for your final paper, either a comment or no comment from the embassy of foreign ministry, and an expert who can give the reader the country’s rationale for charging and jailing your journalist or journalists in general. 45 minutes in class for reporting

No reading assignment this week. Use the time to finish reporting, given the holes we’ve identified in your draft.

May 1: The Future of the Independent Media in the U.S.

In Class: A look at the domestic news deserts, Obama administration leak investigations, the Pentagon Papers; Class will be tailored to what will best help you finish your projects. Editing the “Prison Time” or “Biography” section of your profile. 45-minutes of reporting time.

Assignment Before Class:

Reporting Assignment: Finish reporting and writing.

Writing Assignment: Write each the “Prison Time” or “Biography” section of your profile. Bring to class for editing and discussion.

Reading Assignment: Leonard Downie Jr, “The Obama Administration and the Press,” Committee to Protect Journalists, Oct. 10, 2013; Penelope Muse Abernathy, The Rise of a News Baron and The Emerging Threat of News Deserts: Look at map and read: http://newspaperownership.com/executive-summary And, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4kQG1bPf2k

Guest: Abernathy via Skype

May 8: Last Class: Independent Media under the Trump Administration

By now we should have some idea about whether the Trump administration will continue support for independent media overseas through RFE/RL, VOA and State Department grants and its human rights office. We will review the record so far. Review of footnote requirements. Work on finalizing papers in class.

Reading TBA/Guest TBA, depending.

May 12: Final Papers Due by 5:00 pm via email in Word Document only

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