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JOUR 2310/2320: Introduction to Media Writing & Newspaper Reporting and Writing
The Research Process for Journalists
This page details how to think about and do your research as a journalist. It also explains what type of resource you should use for various types of information needs.Internet Portals and Directories
These portals and directories will lead you to trusted sources of encyclopedias, dictionaries, directories, handbooks, and other resource information useful for fact checking.Librarians’ Index to the Internet http://www.lii.org
Power Reporting.org http://www.powerreporting.org
A Journalist’s Guide to the Internet http://reporter.umd.edu
Journalism Net http://www.journalismnet.com
API Journalist’s Toolbox http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/toolbox
Reporter’s Desktop http://www.reporter.org/desktop
Finding Information on a Specific Person
Finding information on a specific person can be difficult, especially if the person is not famous or well known in their field. Some ideas to help you get started is to look for newspaper articles in Access World News
- this database has many small town papers included in it so you may get lucky and find an article that mentions the person you are looking for.
Next, you will want to look in City, County, and State resources. Many of the links below will help you look for information on people in Denton city and county and the state of Texas. Some of these resources include property tax records, civil and criminal case records, and vital statistics records.
City and County Information
The following links may be useful for your local beats.City of Denton, Texas
http://www.cityofdenton.com/pages/index.cfm
- City Council
http://www.cityofdenton.com/pages/citycouncil.cfm - DTV Broadcasting Schedule
http://www.cityofdenton.com/pages/mygovdtvsched.cfm
City Council meetings are broadcast on DTV. City Council meeting tapings can be checked out from the Emily Fowler branch of the Denton Public Library at 502 Oakland Street. - Municipal Code
http://www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?sid=43&pid=10644 - Denton Police Department
http://www.cityofdenton.com/pages/police.cfm
From this page, you can find jail custody reports, street construction information, monthly crime statistics, registered sex offenders list, most wanted, and much more. - Denton Interactive Maps
http://gisweb.cityofdenton.com/ - Denton Crime Maps
http://gisweb.cityofdenton.com/website/crimemap/
The maps we looked at in class that allow you to enter an address and see crimes around the address entered. Remember to use these carefully!
Denton County, Texas
http://www.co.denton.tx.us/
- Records Search
http://justice.dentoncounty.com/
Find court records here, to include criminal, civil, and family case records, jail records, the Texas convictions database, and sex offenders for all of the cities in Denton County. - County Clerk
http://www.co.denton.tx.us/dept/main.asp?Dept=17&Link=47
The county clerk issues and provides access to birth and death records, property records, deeds, map, marriage licenses, involuntary mental health commitments, foreclosures, and more. - Social Service Agencies Directory
http://dentoncounty.com/socialservices.asp - Denton Central Appraisal District Property Search
http://www.dentoncad.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=98&Itemid=54
Property tax records for Denton County.
North Central Texas Council of Governments (NTCOG)
http://www.nctcog.org/
- Demographic Data for North Central Texas
http://www.nctcog.org/ris/demographics/ - North Central Council of Governments Regional Directory
http://www.nctcog.org/rd/index.asp
Provides directory information for cities, counties, and school districts
State & Federal Information
- American FactFinder
http://factfinder.census.gov
Provides fact sheets with demographic information for cities or counties.
- Oncor Group Community Profiles
Provides very complete profiles for cities. Data provided by TXU. - Bureau of Labor Statistics
http://www.bls.gov/ - Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal History Search
This is the official Texas criminal history search database. It is fee-based.
School Information
- School District Demographics
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/sdds
Provides access to school district geographic and demographic data useful for describing and analyzing characteristics of school districts, children, and K-12 education. - Texas Education Agency
www.tea.state.tx.us/ - Snapshot: School District Profiles
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/snapshot/
Contains a profile about the characteristics of each public school district.
How to Evaluate Websites