Online Newsgathering: Research and Reporting for Journalism

Journalists used to rely on their notepad and pen. Today, professional journalists rely on the computer—and not just for the writing. Much, if not all, of a journalist’s research happens on a computer.

If you are journalist of any kind, you need to know how to find the information you need online. This book will show you how to find declassified governmental files, statistics of all kinds, simple and complex search engines for small and large data gathering, and directories of subject experts. This book is for the many journalists around the world who didn’t attend a formal journalism school before going to work, those journalists who were educated before online research became mainstream, and for any student studying journalism today. It will teach you how to use the Internet wisely, efficiently and comprehensively so that you will always have your facts straight and fast.

Online Newsgathering:
‧ reflects the most current thinking
‧ is pertinent to both industry and education
‧ focuses on what people need to know

Please visit the authors' companion website at http://computerassistedreporting.com for additional resources.

*Written by a repeat Focal Press author who has lived in the States, UK and Australia teaching journalism in colleges and lecturing to professionals around the world on CAR
* Full of time-saving tips to make every journalist more efficient
*The Pulitzer Prize for investigative and/or public service journalism has gone every years since 1989 to reporters who used computers ‘significantly’ in gathering and analyzing data for their stories

Stephen Quinn is an associate professor of journalism in the Faculty of Arts at Deakin University in Australia. He previously served as an associate professor of journalism at Ball State University and as both the director of the Center for Media Training and Research and an associate professor of journalism at Zayed University in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. He has also taught journalism in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Between 1975 and 1990, Quinn worked full time as a reporter, writer, editor and columnist in Australia, Thailand, the UK and New Zealand. He started with regional newspapers in Australia (the Newcastle Herald) and has worked -- in chronological order -- for the Bangkok Post, the Press Association in London, BBC-TV, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Television New Zealand, Independent Television News in London, and The Guardian in London.He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Newcastle in Australia, his master's degree from The City University in London and his Ph.D. from the University of Wollongong in Australia. Quinn is the author of Convergent Journalism and Conversations on Convergence (both New York: Peter Lang 2005) Knowledge Management in the Digital Newsroom (Oxford: Focal Press 2002), Digital Sub-Editing and Design (Oxford: Focal Press 2001), Newsgathering on the Net second edition (Melbourne: Macmillan 2001) and The Art of Learning (Sydney: UNSW Press 1999).
Stephen Lamble PhD is Associate Professor of Journalism and Head of the School of Communication at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia. Dr Lamble founded, and leads, the university's innovative journalism program in which students become multiskilled and learn to work across all media. A former senior journalist with News Limited's The Sunday Mail newspaper in Queensland, he was one of the first Australian journalist to adopt computer-assisted reporting methods. A specialist investigative reporter, he has been recognised in Australia's most prestigious journalism awards, the Walkley Awards, as the most outstanding journalist in any media in Queensland. He has been a newspaper editor, copy editor, photo-journalist and consultant editor. His PhD focussed on computer-assisted reporting and freedom of information. He is co-author of The Daily Miracle: An Introduction to Journalism, third edition, (Oxford University Press: South Melbourne 2006).