Journalists and students hone crime reporting skills at News Watch event
Nearly 50 South Dakota journalists and students recently attended training sessions in Rapid City and Sioux Falls to sharpen their crime coverage skills.
Nearly 50 South Dakota journalists and students recently attended training sessions in Rapid City and Sioux Falls to sharpen their crime coverage skills.
“Lost in Court: A Journalist’s Guide to Covering Criminal Cases” was sponsored by South Dakota News Watch and South Dakota Public Broadcasting, which hosted both sessions, as well as the South Dakota Broadcasters Association and the South Dakota NewsMedia Association.
Larry Long, circuit court judge and former South Dakota attorney general, and Craig Kennedy, defense attorney, former state’s attorney and former state lawmaker from Yankton, led the training. They used documents and photos from a real court case to teach participants where to find information related to criminal investigations, the strategies lawyers use and how to know what’s important to the audience and what’s not.
State court administrators Kristi Erdman and Amber Watkins in Rapid City and Karl Thoennes in Sioux Falls then explained how to access court documents and cover hearings and trials.
Organizations that attended: KOTA-AM/Riverfront Broadcasting, KEVN-TV/KOTA-TV, Rapid City Journal, KELO-TV, Dakota News Now, South Dakota Searchlight, KCCR Radio in Pierre, KTIV-TV in Sioux City, Mitchell Republic, Madison Daily Leader, Dakota Radio Group in Pierre, KXLG-FM in Watertown, Black Hills State University, South Dakota State University, South Dakota Public Broadcasting and South Dakota News Watch.
