Electric Fishwrap

Note: I’ve been meaning to blog about this for almost a month. In trying to get my blogging mojo back I’m going to do some quick hits in the next few days.

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know everything. Reporters shouldn’t have to know everything, but they should know how to find out the answers. Enter Kent Fisher, education blogger/reporter for the Dallas Morning News. What Fischer didn’t think was a big story became national news after he questioned his blog readers about grade inflation.

Read a breakdown of the whole affair at Beatblogging.org here and here (including an 18-minute audio interview with Fischer here). The Dallas Independent School District called foul, and said the documents were preliminary.

DISD spokesman Jon Dahlander claimed that what Fischer and The Dallas Morning News had published was in fact a draft copy of the new grading policy. FrontBurner blogger Tim Rogers called on the Morning News to print a clarification, and scolded Fischer and the Morning News for making a big deal out of a draft policy.

Just as Fischer’s blog readers helped break this story open, they also helped slap down district spin.

Fischer eventually posted letters to parents explaining the policy and a PowerPoint presentation for principals, all submitted by readers of his blog. The conversation drew in dozens of teachers who had not previously read his blog before.

If you haven’t yet, listen to the audio. Fischer also talks about the difference between blogs (anonymous comments) and print standards (sourced comments), because he had to re-report some of the details from the blog for the dead-tree edition.

This is an inspiring example of how reporters work sources, and a great way to use a blog to pose a question to the experts — in this case the blog readers.

I’ve read News Gems and Technolo-j for quite some time, but I surfed around SPJ’s blogroll this morning and found a surprising gem: FOI FYI.

Now, not all SPJ blogs are being updated every day. FOI FYI tries. Every month since October 2007, there have been at least 24 posts per month.

I really like this post about building a FOI records file:

In a Word or Excel file, start a list including the headline, date, publication, author, link to the story, the good that resulted, and the specific records used. Then, when an agency denies you access to records, look up your list of stories and pull examples that demonstrate how the records help society.

The post also points to the FOIA Files, a list of stories that would not have been possible without the use of FOIA.

This blog should be helpful to any reporter, but I definitely plan to search past posts to help me on my ed beat.

Since I posted about Angryjournalist.com, I figure it’s only fair to add Happyjournalist.com. To be honest, I thought Angryjournalist.com site would be insightful and cathartic, but at this point I avoid visiting. I agree with Meranda Watling on the topic:

The more I read aj.com the more depressing I realized it was that so many people hated their jobs and this industry. I mean, we all need to vent, but surely if you hate it that much you should consider switching jobs.

I consider myself a glass-is-half-full person, so I’m happy to see Happyjournalist.com come about. I also notice that it’s full of comments where people leave their real names. That’s encouraging to me (I also posted one).

Unfortunately the posts in angryjournalist.com will always outnumber the posts in happyjournalist.com. Unfortunately some people will always make what is supposed to be a postitive site into a negative one:

rally monkey 3:13 pm on March 3, 2008 | #21

i’m happy i no longer work at the seattle times for blowhard editors.

I’m sure the guy who replaced you would agree. Most people I know would give a favored body part to work there.

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