using data in science journalism
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STEVE DOIGCRONKITE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
Using data in science journalism
Precision journalism
“The plural of anecdote is not evidence.”Pioneers: Cronkite, Herald and InquirerPhil Meyer wrote the book in 1972 calling for
journalists to use social science methodsSome journalists began doing computer-
assisted reporting in the early 1980sNICAR created in early 1990sToday thousands of reporters doing precision
journalism
Data-driven stories
Sociology: “Color of Money”, censusWeather disaster: “What Went Wrong”,
KatrinaEnvironment: “Boss Hog”, “Toxic Waters”, FL
wetlands, “Ghost Factories”, “Smokestack Effect”,
Medical: “Culture of Resistance”, radiation errors, Medicare fraud, “Playing with Fire”
Technical Tools
Search (browser and Google)Spreadsheet (Excel)Database manager (Access, MySQL)Statistical software (SPSS, R)Programming (Python, SAS, perl, et al.)Mapping (ArcMap, QGIS, Tableau)Visualization (Fusion Tables, R, Stata, et al.)Exotica: GPS, satellite imagery, drones,
sensors
Methods
Newsroom math: Percentage change, crowd counting, etc.
Descriptive statistics: Mean, median, rangeCorrelation and regressionUnderstanding p-values and confidence
intervalsIndexes:
Dissimilarity (measures segregation) Diversity (measures population mix) Benford’s Law (used in forensic accounting) HHI (measures market competitiveness)
Google Tricks
Site: , filetype:Define:6 dollars in euros, miles in 35 km3.14159*452345Weather bostonBoston moviesFedEx, UPS trackingFlight info
Science.gov
Data.gov
USGS.gov
IRE.org data library
Eurekalert.org
Strategies
Which agency would have the data you want?Science data agencies: FDA, EPA, NSF, Census,
CDC, NRC, FAA, NTSB, NHTSA…Look for “data” linksScience societies and journals: AAAS, AMA, et al.Get on email lists of agencies and societies that
interest youJoin NASW (and IRE)Use search to find scholars working in your fieldMonitor e-journals like Arxiv.org
TAKE A BREAK!
www.public.asu.edu/~sdoig/knight/
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