This creative project is the first draft of a database of financial records from Arizona law enforcement's use of the state asset forfeiture program from fiscal 2011-2015. Asset forfeiture is a program by which law enforcement can seize property suspected to have been used in a crime and can then use the property, cash, or proceeds from the property's auction for its own purposes, raising questions of conflicts of interest. The paper explains the methodology and goals for the database, while the database itself represents more than 11,000 pages of financial records and is more than 70,300 cells large.

What's in a name? A person not a number is a multimedia eBook that will explore how the media treats coverage of sexual assault victims and challenges the traditional no-naming policy instilled in almost every professional newsroom. Historical context to no-naming policies, opinions from critics of the no-naming policy and legal information will be provided. This book serves to encourage journalists and editors to consider identifying victims after long, thoughtful discussions, to educate media consumers on the topic, to eradicate the societal stigma of rape, and to reflect the views of survivors so that they may feel more willing to share their stories. Identifying sexual assault victims conforms to the journalistic imperative to tell the truth as fully as possible and to inform the public as completely as possible. When the information is part of the public record and there are no legal limitations on its use, identifying sexual assault victims will have a positive impact in educating the public and eradicating the stigma associated with being the victim of sexual assault. This book proposes that through educated, thoughtful and truthful stories about sexual assault can spark careful conversations and help turn around the stigma our society has placed on victims. The full eBook, complete with photos, videos and other audio components, is available at https://alejandraarmstrong.atavist.com/whats-in-a-name-a-person-not-a-number.

Parental substance abuse is the number one reason children are neglected and placed in foster care. More than 18,000 children were in out-of-home care in Arizona in 2015, the majority of them for neglect. Reports to the Arizona Department of Child Safety are categorized by physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect. Neglect is the broadest category and 72.9 percent of the maltreatment reports DCS received between April and September 2015 were for child neglect. Experts say nationally, parental substance abuse is the main cause for the neglect of children. "The Endless Cycle of Neglect" is an in-depth story about the effects of parental substance abuse leading to children being placed in foster care. The research was conducted through reviews of data available in public records and interviews with experts and adults who were in placed in foster care after experiencing neglect by parents who were abusing substances. The story is built into a multimedia website with elements such as photos, embedded audio, and infographics. The story follows Amber Anderson, whose father was a drug addict, and chronicles the events in her life that led to her being placed in foster care and ultimately losing her children to foster care because of neglect. Anderson shared her story of neglect, her time as a prostitute, and the events that led to her losing custody of her children. The website that the story is hosted on, kuntharathesis.com, was built to be visually engaging for readers, with large photos, pull quotes, and interactive infographics. The full thesis can be found at kuntharathesis.com or http://kuntharathesis.com/index.php/2016/05/05/the-unending-cycle/

For our thesis we will create a comprehensive journalistic manual for The State Press employees that details the standards of each section and also offer tips on ways to further develop communication and quality. We will offer methods for streamlining the writing and editing process so that writers are fully aware of the standards that need to be met in order to be published. As ASU Student Media makes a move to increase its digital presence, a strong voice is necessary. Creativity is at the heart of every great online product, be it through writing, visuals or both. By instilling a culture of accountability through this manual and its rules, we will start building a staff capable of producing a high quality, digitally focused online product in years to come.

In making a State Press manual we hope to increase the excellence and performance of the media entity year after year and to urge students to develop a commitment to ethical and professional values of journalism. We also aim to solidify the entire staff’s knowledge of journalism writing and create an educational workplace for employees who are interested in growing. The guide will provide a foundation to train and instruct for each State Press section, which will ease the pressure put on the editors and will allow more time for constructive direction.

We want to make the production/editing process — from the initial brainstorming of an article to the final publication — a logical and fluid sequence.