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Data-based Investigative Journalism

Data-based Investigative Journalism. Steve Doig s teve.doig@asu.edu. My background. Reporter and editor with The Miami Herald for 20 years before joining the Cronkite School in 1996. Expert in computer-assisted reporting for investigations Some investigations I worked on:

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Data-based Investigative Journalism

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  1. Data-based Investigative Journalism Steve Doig steve.doig@asu.edu

  2. My background • Reporter and editor with The Miami Herald for 20 years before joining the Cronkite School in 1996. • Expert in computer-assisted reporting for investigations • Some investigations I worked on: • Hurricane Andrew (Pulitzer Prize) • Miami criminal justice system (IRE Award) • Immigration in America (Goldsmith Prize) • Florida prisons (ABA Silver Gavel award) • Money laundering (IAPA Globe & Mail Award) • Medicare fraud (George Polk Award)

  3. Investigative reporting • In-depth examination of societal problems or situations, leading to stories that expose wrongdoers or bring about calls for change for the better. • Watchdog journalism • Our motto: “Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” • Our attitude: “If your mother says she loves you, check it out.”

  4. How do investigations start? • A tip from a source • An anonymous call from a whistleblower • A regular news story suggests further in-depth scrutiny • Curiosity about something observed • Finding a pattern in a database

  5. Precision journalism • Use of computers and social science techniques to do stories that otherwise would be impossible • Normally used to find patterns of interest in government databases • Also called “database journalism” or “computer-assisted reporting” (CAR)

  6. A short history of data journalism • Walter Cronkite in the 1952 election • Don Barlett & Jim Steele in Philadelphia in ’60s • Phil Meyer writes “Precision Journalism” in 1973 • Scattering of journalists use personal computers beginning in the ’80s • First data Pulitzer in 1989: “Color of Money” • NICAR created at University of Missouri • 1993 Pulitzer for Hurricane Andrew reporting • Basic CAR skills now considered essential in most newsrooms

  7. Some CAR-worthyinvestigative topics • Official corruption • Vote fraud • Slum lords • Environmental problems • Kickbacks to public officials • Business practices • Dangerous medical devices • Racial discrimination

  8. Data journalism tools • Software: • Browser: Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, et al. • Spreadsheet: Excel • Database: Access • Mapping: ArcMap, QGIS, Google Fusion Tables • Miscellaneous: Text editor, SPSS, et al. • Hardware: Computer, GPS • Social science: Statistics, polling, experiment

  9. Excel spreadsheet

  10. Sorted

  11. Filtered

  12. Math and functions

  13. Pivot tables

  14. Data mapping

  15. Other tools

  16. Where to learn more • Join IRE ($70/year) • “Investigative Reporter’s Handbook” • IRE beat books • NICAR-L email list

  17. Investigative Reporters & Editors • IRE formed in 1975 • IRE founding member Don Bolles of the Arizona Republic was killed with a car bomb in June 1976 • Desert Rats continued Bolles’ work

  18. Investigative Reporters & Editors • Today, IRE has >4,000 members, including many international journalists • Annual conferences around the US • Workshops and bootcamps (including NICAR conference) • IRE offshoots in countries around the world • GIJ conference in Brazil in 2013 • Next GIJ in Norway in 2015

  19. www.ire.org

  20. datadrivenjournalism.net

  21. DataJournalismHandbook.org/

  22. gijn.org

  23. Questions?

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