Investigative Journalism
Students will learn the process of discerning the small dramas around them, and of shaping newscasts to bring the news quickly and concisely to their readers. Then they'll learn to craft narrative nonfiction to illuminate social issues and stir their readers to shared concerns. Then students will extend their investigative research to include interviewing, surveying, and research. The style, tone and content of journalism will hone students' skills - there will be an effectiveness, a clarity, focus, and precision to the writing that should serve the student's well in their nonfiction writing. They will learn to call on the narrative writing craft they have learned ever more purposefully, using that craft to deliberately call readers' attention to issues and moments of social significance. They will add into that craft a nonfiction emphasis on truth-telling, on the ethics of illuminating multiple perspectives, and on the subtle art of moving readers toward social action.
Resources and Examples
Ehrenworth, Mary, and Cornelius Minor. Investigative Journalism. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.