Data Delver: Cheryl Phillips, Seattle Times

Posted by on Jul 11, 2010 in Blog, CAR, data delvers, data visualizations | No Comments

Programming note: This Data Delver series was a lot more regular before I actually became a “Data Delver.” This is one of two interviews that’s been sitting in my draft pile.  I spoke to Cheryl Phillips back in March 2010, and the below interview should be interpreted in that context.  Sorry for the delay, Cheryl, ...

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Data Delver: Paul Monies, The Oklahoman

Posted by on Apr 11, 2010 in Blog, CAR, data delvers | One Comment

In journalism, we talk a lot about the concept of the “one-man band.” The idea often refers to multi-platform journalism — it means being able to deliver a story in print, video, audio or online format. You must be able to do it all, and do it all well. But in the CAR world, plenty ...

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Using Javascript for interactive Google charts

Posted by on Mar 29, 2010 in Blog, programming | No Comments

Want to provide interactive graphs to news consumers quickly and easily on platforms that simply don’t support Flash?  Enter the “hidden power of Javascript,” a key component of the Google Visualization API.  It was the subject of a recent “Lightning Talk” I gave at NICAR 2010 in Phoenix.  My slides and a more thorough walk-through ...

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Bringing data journalism into curricula

Posted by on Mar 24, 2010 in Blog, CAR, programming, theory | 7 Comments

As a recently graduated Medillian (yay for entering the “real world, boo for having to leave such a nurturing and wonderful place), I’ve been thinking a lot about data journalism and my generation.  Why were there so few students at NICAR?  Yes, it costs money to get to a conference, but I’m not even seeing ...

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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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Recognize the importance of journalistic creativity

Posted by on Feb 2, 2010 in Blog, CAR | No Comments

Applying for jobs is scary, I’ll be the first to say it. People are getting laid off left and right, and I, as a 23-year-old, have the audacity to say I have the ability and right to take those jobs, and that I’ll make it worth an employer’s while because I’m energetic, insanely devoted/obsessed and ...

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Keep it subtle, stupid: Differentiating data values in visualizations

Posted by on Jan 25, 2010 in Blog, class, tufte | No Comments

I’m not anything resembling a visual genius, but I like to believe I have enough of an eye that I can tell what works and what doesn’t.  The reason Tufte’s books are so helpful is that they tell me why something works, and give me rules so I know what I can and can’t do.  ...

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Importance of combining data analysis with context (reflections on readings from week two)

Posted by on Jan 11, 2010 in Blog, class, data visualizations, theory, tufte | No Comments

“Visual and Statistical Thinking: Displays of Evidence for Making Decisions,” Edward Tufte, Visual Explanations This chapter gave practical examples of something I’ve been saying from almost the first day of my data analysis journey — that it’s absolutely fundamental that the decisions behind the analysis are shown to the reader/user.  Data’s never perfect, and if ...

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A list of 40 CAR-friendly news organizations
(my adventures in parsing the IRE directory)

Posted by on Jan 11, 2010 in Blog, CAR | 2 Comments

Sure, data-driven reporting investigations sound good, but how does an aspiring journalist know which organizations are most supportive of that kind of work? I don’t believe there’s one all-encompassing way to tell, but I would argue that one measure might be the number of Investigative Reporters and Editors-card-carrying members in a news organization. And why ...

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The limitations of SQL and Access

Posted by on Nov 25, 2009 in Blog, CAR | No Comments

Quick tips on how SQL and Access differ in nuances associated with CAR. I speak from the experience Team Data and I have had this week on our CAR project over at Medill.

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