My next move: LA Times!

Posted by on Mar 18, 2010 in Blog, CAR, data visualizations, django, programming, theory | 8 Comments

“You’re going into journalism?  Now?”  “they” asked.  “What can you do with that?” I’ve always answered that I’ll figure something out, that the Web is to journalism’s benefit, not its detriment.  That there’s got to be something to this programming journalism thing I enjoy so much. I finished my last final today.  Counting down to ...

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Data Delver: Jennifer LaFleur, ProPublica

Posted by on Mar 8, 2010 in Blog, CAR, data delvers | No Comments

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, ...

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Piece de resistance: Data viz wrapup

Posted by on Mar 8, 2010 in Blog, CAR, class, data visualizations, django, projects, tufte | No Comments

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 ...

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Persistence of Chicago Art Galleries

Posted by on Mar 3, 2010 in Blog, CAR, class, data visualizations, projects, writing | One Comment

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 ...

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Guest Post: Integrating data with our journalism

Posted by on Mar 2, 2010 in Blog, CAR, data visualizations, theory | No Comments

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 ...

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“Demos, not memos”: My first Django app

Posted by on Feb 22, 2010 in Blog, data visualizations, django, programming | 2 Comments

UPDATE:  GitHub repo with code for the app can be found here: http://github.com/michelleminkoff/oscars Thanks to Dave Stanton for a marvelous tutorial linked in the comments. “Demos, not memos.”  It’s my new mantra.  A phrase well known in the CAR community, especially after this blog post from Matt Waite, I subscribe to the idea for two ...

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Many Eyes: “Catalyzing the community around data”

Posted by on Feb 18, 2010 in Blog, data visualizations | No Comments

Before I get going, thanks to all of you who’ve been reading and/or sending me feedback!  And a hearty welcome to any new readers who’ve found their way over via Innovative Interactivity, #wjchat or any other method.  I’m so glad you’re joining me on my data journalism quest (read: obsession!).  If you have any topics ...

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Visualizing networking: When it doesn’t work

Posted by on Feb 15, 2010 in Blog, class, data visualizations, processing, programming | No Comments

So much in journalism and in life, we strive for perfection in our work. The best story idea, the best presentation.  We strive for perfection as individuals, we compete to be the best, get to the scene before someone else, write tighter, edit faster.  But sometimes, it’s just as important to recognize when something just ...

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Visual confections are more than mere presentation

Posted by on Feb 15, 2010 in Blog, class, data visualizations, theory, tufte | One Comment

Data visualization.  It’s one of those terms that can mean so many things.  I say I’m doing an independent study on data visualization this quarter.  That’s true.  But a better description would be “data visualizations for journalism.”  I’ve talked about this with people before, a lot of pieces are gorgeous, and they do convey information, ...

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Data Delver: William Hartnett, Palm Beach Post

Posted by on Feb 12, 2010 in Blog, CAR, data delvers, data visualizations | No Comments

There’s a fine line between loving your work, and falling into a deep obsession.  I don’t pretend to understand the distinction, what some call an obsession, I call it loving learning and seeing a project through.  I think it’s very easy to become sucked in to something, when it’s something that matters. I know I ...

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