David Herzog
Some TV stations in Missouri will need to make political ad purchase information available on the web in the coming months, thanks to a ruling by the Federal Communications Commission late last week.
Commercial stations that are affiliates of the major networks (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) in the top 50 [...]
Kip Hill got data for class about tax increment financing projects across Missouri and analyzed it for stories in the Missourian last week. I like how Kip gives readers a peek at how he did the story on the Missourian’s Watchword blog. He even provided copies of his Excel spreadsheets and a [...]
Last week I mentioned the political ads database that we’re building here at the Missouri School of Journalism as a part of a website that will help inform and engage people around Columbia in the 2012 elections.
The database will be the heart of Political AdVault and will contain detailed information about every broadcast [...]
We’re working on an project here at the Missouri School of Journalism that we hope will provide insight and spark conversation about the televised political ads running on local stations during the 2012 election season.
To build it, we’re tapping into little-known public information: contracts for TV political advertising. You can’t find the information with [...]
After a few bumps, the great open-source data journalism experiment is rolling along.
My students installed OpenOffice on their Mac or PC laptops weeks ago and have been using the Calc spreadsheet to analyze data. Its interface isn’t as polished as Microsoft Excel, but we’ve been able to make [...]
Due: Noon, Tues., Jan. 31
One of the best ways to dive into the world of computer-assisted reporting is to examine stories that have used data analysis.
So, for this assignment, I would like you to read a CAR story that’s been published in the past two years. Then, I want you to use [...]
This semester in my Computer-Assisted Reporting class we’re experimenting with open-source software.
Traditionally, I teach students how to use commercial software — Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and Access database manager — to clean and analyze data. That makes sense: Computers in many professional newsrooms already have Excel installed. Also, most students already have Excel [...]
If you’re in Columbia and want to explore the intersection of journalism and technology, don’t miss the inaugural Hacks/HackerIRE meetup later this week.
Hacks/Hackers is a grassroots journalism organization that seeks to bring traditional journalists (“hacks”) together with technologists (“hackers”). Since its founding in November 2009, more than two [...]
You can learn a bunch about computer-assisted reporting by regularly reading news stories that used data analysis. Plus, it’s a good way to find inspiration.
In some cases, CAR makes the story. In others, CAR might provide crucial context.
By noon Tues., Sept. 6, find a story where a journalist used CAR. Using the comments [...]
A few days ago I started putting together a slideshow about free data journalism web tools for a group of visiting television and newspaper reporters from South Korea.
The number of free Web 2.0 tools is booming and continues to change as new services appear and others die. Remember Swivel, the data visualization service? Used [...]
About Me
Veteran investigative journalist specializing in data analysis for news reporting.Teach computer-assisted reporting to professional and student journalists.
Advocate for open government, founder of OpenMissouri.
Connect with me
My Tweets
- #WI gov spending more time out of state, grooming nat'l stature @WisWatch analysis of calendar shows http://t.co/0O4n1Ezy #datajournalism
- Don't miss #IREBluesBash next month in Boston at the IRE conference http://t.co/BXrDLkr0 Gina Sicilia at the Middle East Downstairs
- @felicejfreyer We're creating our own database of ads for the Columbia local market as a jschool project , BTW http://t.co/qE2m40Yc
- @felicejfreyer They're not teaming up, AFAIK. Sounds like @freepress wants to put into into data tables. Unsure if @ProPublica doing same
Useful Links
- Data journalism stories from IRE
- Investigative Reporters & Editors
- Missouri Media Law Handbook
- Missouri Sunshine Law (Attorney General)
- National Freedom of Information Coalition
- News Nerd Jobs and Internships
- NICAR Database Library
- Open Missouri
- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
- State Open Government Guide
