updated July, 2020

A. Opening

•  Seattle_ArtMuseum_release  — response to racism

 

 

B. Tools for Verifying Information

1. Snopes.com

2. Reverse Image Search

Right click and save this picture:  Then check it with these tools:

• Google Images – click camera icon and upload image

• Tineye.com

3. Verification Handbook

C. Digging Deeper

1. IRS Form 990s

1. Only covers tax-exempt organizations. To see if organization is  tax-exempt:

• Look on its “About” page or elsewhere on the website
• IRS site to check tax-exempt organizations  click on the button before “Are eligible”
• Nonprofit Explorer from Pro Publica
• Charity Navigator
• State Attorney General (here is New York)

 2. Sample 990s

• CNY-Arts-2018-990
  • Breakout Groups
• Others; most previous years
  • Landmark_990_2017
  • The Rev (formerly Finger Lakes Music Festival): FLMF_990

        3. Where to find 990s

• Ask the non-profit for the latest copy
• Guidestar – a database of 990s
• Nonprofit Explorer/ProPublica – summary of data only; often more recent than Guidestar
• Charity Navigator
• note: 990s are also available from Citizen Audit (searchable, but costly) and IRS  (see AWS; must convert from XML)

        4. Tips on how to read a 990: IRE_Tips_990s,  a 6-page handout

2. Public Records

a. Public Records Requests

• state FOIA letter generator from Student Press Law Center
• federal FOIA letter generator, ifoia,  from Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
• info about federal FOIA from US Dept. of Justice

3.  Databases of Government Records

a. National Endowment for the Arts search

b. Paycheck Protection Program, a Syracuse.com database

c. New York State

• Charities Bureau
• Open Book New York  from state comptroller
• DataNYGov – all types of state data

4. Business Research

• Databases for company research
  • example: use Reference USA to find basic information and articles about a business. (hint: Click on US Businesses. Click tab for Advanced Search. For record type click “include  unverified sources.” Put in company name , and type in  Syracuse and New York)
• SU Librarian Stephanie McReynold’s resource guide on business information

5. Social Media

• You already now how to research on much social media
• LinkedIn    –good for backgrounding companies and interviews; helpful in finding sources, especially previous employees.

D. 5 Quick Helps for Research 

1. Syracuse Libraries Arts Journalism Subject Guide

• see also this Research Guide for Architecture  and one on Music & Entertainment

2. Syracuse Newspapers database (archives) type Syracuse Newspapers  into search box

3. Newslink   [Other newspaper databases via SU Library: EJournal Locator, Access World News, Library Press Display

„4. Online Phone Books: anywho.com  either type in name to find number or use reverse search to type in phone number to find name

5. Twitter list — Arts 

• To subscribe to this list so that it appears on your twitter lists: 1. Sign on to twitter; search for Ready Reporter.  Look for lists and click on the Arts J one.  Look at top left for a circle with an “i” in it or look for a subscribe button to subscribe.

BONUS:

6. Symbaloo.

Here’s a graphical bookmark page Fought constructed on Symbaloo, with arts resources, mostly in Central New York

To copy the arts journalism webmix above into your own Symbaloo, go to your Symbaloo, click at the top left (icon looks like bulleted list with down arrow) , then click on add webmix and type in http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/artsjournalism

 Investigative Stories related to the arts

• Atlanta Journal Constitution: How SCAD sells a dream
• Indianapolis Star:  Is Ball State University museum piece stolen art?
• Huffington Post:  The Art of a College Education: Getting Schools at the Academy of Art University
• News, KUSA-TV, Denver:  Are computer bots taking all the tickets

Slides from 2020 session with arts journalists:  to be posted