'Power of Public Records' webinar set for 2 p.m. Wednesday

Think you know all you need to know about public records and how to use them in journalism? That's like thinking you have collected all the records that might help you write a complicated story. There is always more to learn, and News University at The Poynter Institute offer a good opportunity in a webinar at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

"The Power of Public Records" will "explore ways you can use records to inject authority into on-the-ground reporting," Poynter says. "We’ll also talk about what kinds of records exist and how to get them.  . . . This webinar is an introduction to what’s possible with public records, geared toward reporters, digital producers, bloggers, storytellers and anyone who is interested in digging into information that is readily available."

Poynter says participants in the one-hour webinar will learn how public data and documents can pack power into an interview-driven story; how to navigate local, state and federal records laws; how to troubleshoot denied requests; how to get into a records routine; how others have used records in creative ways to cover universities; and how to think outside the box if a record isn’t public.

The instructor will be Alexandra Zayas, an investigative reporter at the Tampa Bay Times, which Poynter owns. She won the 2013 Livingston Award for Young Journalists, the Selden Ring Award for Investigative Reporting, a Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism and the America’s Promise Journalism Award for Action for her yearlong, three-part series “In God's Name,” which uncovered abuse at unlicensed religious children’s homes across Florida. She has taught classes at the Poynter Institute about developing sources and telling untold stories.

The webinar fee is $29.95 for an individual, $34.95 for a group of two to five, and $44.95 for six or more. To enroll, click here. Participants will have online access to an archived version of the webinar.