The nature of CAR is shifting each day, as data analyzers and Web developers alike prepare to converge on Phoenix later this week. But for those who’ve been in this for the long haul, the essence of the field remains what it always has been. That’s the message ProPublica’s Director of Computer-Assisted Reporting, Jennifer LaFleur, imparted to me during our interview. Read more…
Using data as part of a package that drives user interest needs a strong team, and cross-collaboration between reporters, editors and web developers. At the Los Angeles Times, two key people who work to bring it all together are Web dev duo Ben Welsh and Ken Schwencke. It’s their job to enhance and enrich the various reporting and projects done by reporters and make sure it’s interesting and accessible to you on the Web. That may mean creating an interface to display a video package, bringing you the faces behind the numbers of local homicides, allowing you to combine your own comments with a database about your neighborhood, or whatever else they can come up with. It’s innovation with the freedom of a smaller organization, happening with the support of LAT management. Combine the reach of the LA Times with creativity and flexibility, and the sky’s the limit. Read more…
And, scene. That’s a term borrowed from theater, it’s used as an act or scene closes. My giant Chicago art gallery persistence project is completed. We’ve got a trend article that uses CAR techniques, and a Flash visualization and a searchable database. The main thrust to the story is that of the galleries that existed in Chicago in 1990, about half have survived. What’s enabled them to survive, though, has varied. And while I can give you the overall picture, maybe you, as someone interested in the topic, care more about a certain medium or gallery or part of the city. You must be able to find the part of the story that matters to you. This is the non-linear storytelling first mentioned in the beginning weeks of Medill. But for me, it is no longer just an idea, it is a reality. 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. As I wrap up my time at Medill, I’ve been thinking about endings, and even more about new beginnings.
And I also wonder: How does my relatively recent complete shift of a journalism career fit into all this? (If you’ve missed the philosophical journey, I’ve transitioned from writer to writer w/some tech interests to writer dabbling in tech to now this: a journalist who’s learning to tell stories through code and data. Crazy!) Read more…
I’ve spent the quarter compiling and analyzing data exploring the persistence of Chicago art galleries, as a way of exploring CAR for the arts. I found a list from the Chicago Artists’ Coalition of 96 such businesses that existed in 1990, and tracked their fate. A story summarizing the trend follows (an assignment for my Arts Reporting class). You can see the accompanying searchable database here. That page will also soon include a Flash visualization exploring the decline in those original galleries over time, sortable by area and medium. (UPDATE 3/7/10: The Flash visualization is now posted.) 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. The other piece so far comes from a journalist specializing in better using music in our multimedia.
We’ve all still got a long way to go exploring this brave, new world, but the only way we’re going to move forward is by communicating and sharing knowledge and ideas.
In the post, I propose we can use data to improve three main facets of our craft: reporting, presenting and collaborating. Please see the piece in its entirety here.
It’s been a busy week for the programming journalists — as I’m sure you’ve seen. Congrats to all, especially the dev team at The New York Times, who just released the newest version of the Congress API, with plenty more robust features to play with, as well as my recent Data Delver interviewee Andy Boyle (who is #11 in my backlog, I’ll get to you all before NICAR, I promise!) who just released a Django app, with the help of his St. Pete colleagues. I’m sure there’s more. For too long, I didn’t join the party, not having a platform of my own, like Boyle’s St. Pete. But after building one of these things, I just can’t stop seeing the opportunities. So this happened!
I’ve been working on my independent study, exploring data looking at the persistence of arts galleries in Chicago. There’s a lot of interesting patterns that I’m both reporting for my arts class, and visualizing for the project. But what I think what would be a really helpful part of the presentation is to let people look at the parts they care about. My independent study advisor Rich Gordon and I discussed not using Processing to make the visualization — which was our original plan — but focusing on the best tool for the job. I’m moving the graphical part of it back into Flash. That wasn’t enough, though. I wanted to open it up as a searchable database that will accompany this story, and the finished piece is helping me perform analysis, too. Read more…