Specialized Reporting: Covering Washington Syllabus 2024
Syracuse University, Newhouse D.C. Program, JNL-DC 530.70
Monday, Jan. 30: Covering Politics
What are the different ways of covering politics? How does the audience of a news organization affect its approach to politics?
Reading: “13 Ways of Looking at a White House”
Assignment: Choose a publication, outlet, podcast, TV program, newsletter, or other form of journalism that covers politics. (Get instructor approval first.) Research its audience, where its reporters worked previously, and major stories it has covered. Write an analysis of its coverage and three pitches you would bring to an interview with an editor there.
Monday, Feb. 5: Polls
How do you read a poll? What are some common pitfalls in polling stories How do you write a standard polling brief? How do you dig deeper to find a more meaningful story? What are the limitations of writing about polls?
Reading: “Public Opinion Polling Basics,” Scott Keeter; “How to read polls like an expert — or, at least, not like a newbie,” Philip Bump; “Here’s How to Properly Read an Election Poll,” Emma Grey Ellis; “Journalist Cheat Sheet to Understanding Polls,” American Association for Public Opinion Research; “CNN’s transparency questionnaire for polling standards.”
Slideshow: How to Read a Poll
Assignment: Choose a recent publicly available poll and read it carefully. (Get instructor approval first.) Interview the pollster or, if not possible, another pollster about what it shows. Write a story that uses the poll as a launching point but is not limited to just the poll itself.
Monday, Feb. 12: CPAC
What is the Conservative Political Action Conference? How do you write about a grassroots event? How do you find an angle at a massive event? What are some pitfalls of covering an event?
Readings: “Despite Republicans cooling on him, CPAC is still the Trump show,” Elena Moore; “The Sad, Desolate Scenes of CPAC 2023,” Laura Jedeed; “CPAC 2023 Is Low Energy,” Tom McKay; “At right-wing CPAC forum, Trump shows why he’ll be tough to topple,” James Oliphant; “Why some big-name Republicans are skipping CPAC, even as Trump, 2024 hopefuls gather,” Tal Axelrod and Libby Cathey.
Assignment: Interview attendees at CPAC and find a story about a 2024 race, campaign issue or other hot topic. Conduct outside reporting to broaden the perspective of the story.
Monday, Feb. 19
How do you read a campaign finance report? What can you learn from campaign contributions and expenditures? How can you compare candidates? What are the limitations of campaign finance reports?
Guest speaker: Matt Holt
Assignment: Choose a recent campaign finance report and go over it thoroughly. Identify and interview contributors about their reason for donating. Write a story that uses the campaign finance report as a major source but gives a broader perspective on the race or candidate.
Monday, Feb. 26
How do you cover a campaign event? What are some ways to avoid simply repeating the campaign’s intended coverage? What are the downsides of covering campaign events?
Assignment: If possible, attend a campaign event and write a story based on it. If that is not possible, find a livestream of a campaign event and cover that. As always, use the event as the focal point but not the only source for the story.
Monday, March 5
How are courts playing a larger role in campaigns and elections? How do you read and understand a court opinion in order to report on it? What are some mistakes to watch for when reporting on court decisions?
Assignment: Find a recent notable court decision (with instructor approval). Read it carefully and look at other filings, friend of the court briefings and related material. Write a story that uses the court decision as a jumping-off point for a broader political analysis.
Monday, March 17
How do you cover a speech? What are some good forms of preparation for a speech story? How do you quickly find the gist of the speech? What are some ways to ensure that a speech story doesn’t repeat misinformation?
In-Class Exercise: Biden speech
Assignment: Find a speech that is planned by the president or another major political figure. (With instructor approval.) Watch the speech, get a transcript and do any additional reporting needed to write a story about what was said and why it matters.
This syllabus is a work in progress. Check back later.
