It is designed to provide students with instruction and experience in reporting and writing about governmental affairs. The class is typically comprised of juniors and seniors and enrollment is approximately 20 students. In redesigning Reporting Methods, Professor Risley tried to deemphasize coverage of meetings and introduce new activities designed to give students experience in different types of reporting. To the course's basic format, he has added a class project that is designed to give students real life fact finding experience. The class produces a Centre County Fact Book for the web that provides a variety of data on Centre County.
Students divide into seven groups of two or three members.
Throughout the first half of the semester, they become acquainted with other group members and receive instruction and practice in locating materials. Groups spend the second half of the semester researching and compiling data for individual chapters in the Fact Book, such as population, government, education, courts and law enforcement, business and commerce, or health and social affairs. The Fact Book is then posted on the web by an undergraduate intern who serves as the Fact Book editor. Although fact finding is often seen as journalist drudge work, students find the production of a real life fact book helpful and are motivated to do well, knowing it will be a valuable resource for later research, as well as for others looking for information about Centre County. The cooperative environment enhances students' collaborative abilities while sharpening their journalistic skills.