So, you think data journalism and programming are some valuable skills you'd like to learn. Unfortunately, your school doesn't offer this as a track, or maybe you're not even in school anymore. You know people will help you, and you think it all seems cool, but it can be difficult knowing just where to start Read More...
"If you truly love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life." That was the main theme of the faculty speaker at my high school graduation back at Palatine High School in 2004. It personified my pursuit of knowledge, and of a career, up until that point, and I've thought about those words each day in the almost six -- six? -- years since then Read More...
I was recently asked to write a guest post sharing some of what I've learned about data from my studies, random experimentation and musings that consume my life. This is part of Adam Westbrook's Fresh Eyes series, where he asks people within and without journalism with non-traditional perspectives to talk about how journalists can improve their craft Read More...
Today, the New York Times' David Carr came to speak at Medill. I've admired his work for some time, and he was just three floors above me, so I hopped on upstairs. While not directly data-related, he did talk about many topics relevant to the current journalistic climate. If that's not a good enough reason, it's my blog, so we're going on a diversion Read More...
My eyes have been opened by the readings I've been doing from Tufte. While I only assigned myself "Visual Explanations," I'm beginning to feel as if I want to soak up as much of his work as possible. So, I went to my advisor's office (Rich Gordon), where the walls are lined with what feels like an infinite number of CAR/data/viz/new media books, and procured Tufte's other three works Read More...
Picture it: You've been given a new story assignment, and you have to leave for the interview in five minutes. You've got to have enough background to ask the right questions, but there's no time to do research. Somehow pulling that all-nighter on an English term paper in college seems like a cakewalk Read More...
"Figure out what you want to do, and get really good at it." That's been the overarching advice I've heard in the past few weeks, as I seek to understand where I might fit in the "new media" world. It all sounds fine, although the more I meet interesting people who've been looking at data analysis and web presentation for a long time, the more it becomes apparent that getting "really good at it" is a lifelong endeavor Read More...
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