The Craft of Research

This time, Ms. MacDonald contributes to the Lens blog for the the New York Times.

David Montalvo wrote about a Catholic veterans group seeking new members for The Queens Courier.

Kerri MacDonald wrote a piece for “The Local” about a computer glitch that kept Maplewood residents from getting e-mails containing H1N1 vaccination information.

Today’s bonus: A great place to find zip codes for New York City neighborhoods.  Could come in handy when using ReferenceUSA or looking for Census Bureau stats, among other things.

On “The Local” blog for the New York Times, Kerri covered a debate over whether rooming houses should be allowed in South Orange.

Today’s bonus: In the spring, I mentioned that archives of several magazines are being hosted at Google Books.   Now I’ve found a complete list, including Life.

Matt Robinson’s article about the capman of the Bronx found a home in the Daily News.

Kerri MacDonald’s piece about a zoning dispute in Maplewood is featured in The Local’s New Jersey edition.

Keep up the good work!

On November 10th, I’ll present just a brief lesson, as we and all the other Craft I classes will attend a special research presentation on backgrounding people using social networking sites, courtesy of the New York Times.  With that in mind, I’d like you to peruse some of the material below.

• ‘ESPN’s guidelines for social networking’ (Pro Football Talk)
• ‘Journalists’ Facebook Pages Reveal Struggle with Neutrality, Free Speech’ (Poynter)
• ‘Poynter, Newsrooms Develop Social Networking Policies for Journalists on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter’ (Poynter)
• ‘New York Times Policy on Facebook and Other Social Networking Sites’ (Poynter)
• ‘Reading, Writing and Reporters’ (The New York Times)
• ‘In Your Facebook’ (American Journalism Review)
• ‘Found in MySpace’ (American Journalism Review)
• ‘Reporters tap into social networks and find gold’ (Chicago Tribune)
• ‘Top friends are not sources’ (Daily Titan)

Speaking of November 10th, I want to remind you that’s also the deadline for APPROVED pitches on the research-inspired enterprise assignment.  That means you need to start pitching BEFORE 11/10.  I’ve yet to receive a pitch, and I’ll be out of town next week, which means I may not get back to you as quickly as I normally would.  Remember that NYC.gov is a treasure trove of possible ideas.  I just discovered another gem last week that’s not even on my handout.  Maybe you could uncover federal stimulus projects in your CD and compare them to other CDs?

Today’s bonus: David Montalvo, a.k.a. Mr. Millburn, has another winner on “The Local” blog for the New York Times.

I meant to post this sooner, but better late than never.  David recently had a story and slideshow about the 12th annual Millburn Fire Department Open House on “The Local” blog for the New York Times.  Make sure to check out the photos, which he took himself.  David’s a regular one-man band!

Today’s bonus: As a proud New York Times blogger myself, feel free to check out my latest.  If you accuse me of “statistical overload,” I may have to plead guilty!

Double bonus: Don’t forget Tuesday’s “due diligence” lesson tips on dates of birth.  Try BirthDetails to find ’em and Can I Vote? to confirm.

We have our first class byline of the semester, a Queens Courier story about the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts’ new home.  Congratulations…Canada breaks the ice!

More burning questions from recent days…

• Do you agree that these are the Top 25 Digital Influencers in News & Politics?
• Is this Newsweek writer correct when he opines that newspapers deserve to die?
• Will the focus “On Language” live on without William Safire? (R.I.P.)

Tim Persinko has become a byline machine at the Daily News.  Just this weekend, he reported on ATM machines in the Flushing River, the need for new area codes in NYC and a toddler falling three stories and surviving.

Mary Stachyra was also on duty at the DN, writing a story on free pedicab rides in Harlem.

Finally, slideshow guru Kristen Joy Watts got another piece of work posted on “The Local” blog for the New York Times.   By the way, Kristen is also very excited about the new Lens blog from the Times, launched today.  Keep your eye out for her work there too!

I’ll start reviewing the quizzes Wednesday and have them back to you by week’s end.  I’ll also post a general quiz recap here on the blog.  In the meantime, I need to catch up on posting some class bylines from the past month…

Tim Persinko has been a Daily News regular, with a Good Friday feature, a shared front page byline for a story on the Swine Flu in Queens, a tale of a home run ball and briefs on a shooting and rising postal rates.

Ben Fractenberg has also been a busy man, first putting his 155-pound physique up against a giant in an arm wrestling contest (Note to Ben: I weigh 140; shoot for me next time), then reporting on “less strenuous” warm weather, auto accident and math stories, all for the Daily News.  Yesterday he had another story on “The Local” blog for the New York Times about a new TV show.

Meanwhile, Kristen Joy Watts and Mary Stachyra have continued their work on “The Local” too.   Kristen added some text to a previously mentioned slideshow on a labor services representative and Mary covered a public meeting on postal problems.  Kudos also to Kristen and another of my past Craft I students on a big time honor!

Last but not least, Marcella Veneziale wrote about growing noise complaints in Chelsea and the potential impact of a proposed outdoor advertising law, and Joe Walker produced a story and slideshow on the Building Green Expo.

Ben Fractenberg had a story about fundraising efforts by area City Council hopefuls on “The Local” blog for the New York Times.

Also on “The Local,” Kristen Joy Watts had a slideshow about Ft. Greene matriarch Eula James.  Kristen is becoming the slideshow master.  Check out this one about labor services representative Khalil Rashid on her own web site.

Last but not least, Tim Persinko wrote about artful Coney Island trash cans in the Daily News.