As a recent column in The New York Times proclaimed, “the democracy beat is now everyone’s beat.” Coverage of democracy-related issues has found its way across all parts of the newsroom, overlapping with many of the beats assigned to journalists. Voting rights and the freedom to protest are just a couple issues at the core of our democracy and increasingly relevant to local communities.

This class features NEFAC’s Tim White, an investigative journalist for WPRI in Providence. White will share a story about a government agency holding an executive session, a secret meeting allowed only under certain circumstances. White will discuss how he and his colleagues responded to this meeting and continued their reporting.

The New England First Amendment Coalition’s website (nefac.org) is a free and publicly-accessible resource for journalists, attorneys, educators and other citizens concerned about constitutional freedoms and open government. NEFAC Executive Director Justin Silverman will lead a walk-through of the site, sharing its many features and tools that can help you learn — or teach — about First Amendment rights and freedom of information laws.

According to the First Amendment Encyclopedia, the fair report privilege is a widely recognized, state-law defense to libel actions when journalists report on or republish defamatory statements made by government. It can be a very valuable tool for journalists but its protection can vary depending on the state.

Whether you are a student journalist or a seasoned professional, pitching a story can be difficult. It can often be a challenge to anticipate the needs of a particular editor and effectively communicate the value of your story. Learn why pitching a story is a critical skill for journalists of all backgrounds and employment status and how you can craft the most effective pitch for your stories.

According to investigative journalist James B. Steele, a ‘document state of mind’ is always assuming material with information you need exists and can be found. Reporting with this mindset will not only help you locate difficult-to-find information but it will also strengthen your stories with more context and data. Learn key questions to ask that will lead you to documents and other information necessary for your stories.

While many difficult interviews can be foreseen, the preparation leading up to them remains crucial and often challenging. Hostile sources can derail an interview — or avoid one altogether — if journalists are not adequately equipped for the confrontation. Learn how to lay the foundation for a productive interview with a hostile source and the strategies needed to keep a confrontational interview safe and on topic.

Whether to locate a hard-to-find source or to dig into the background of someone featured in a story, knowing how to find people online can be an invaluable skill for journalists. Learn what databases — free and paid — are available to help with your search and how people can be found through social media accounts.