J201 Local Enterprise Reporting

Students will join the corps of local news reporters across the country whose work informs communities and holds governments accountable. You will cover local government in Richmond and Oakland, developing enterprising and investigative stories. This is a hands-on training ground, with the instructor acting as more of an editor. You will be expected to produce up to three stories during the semester in either or both cities and along the way, develop sources, mine public records, scour data and collaborate with peers. Stories may be told in print, audio or video formats. Work that meets the standard will be published on Oakland North and Richmond Confidential, and possibly pitched for co-publication on other news sites. Students should take J200 before enrolling in this class.

Hours and workload: About 6-8 reporting hours per week on average.