Data Journalism 101: A guide to

Investigative Reporting with data

Ron Nixon, The New York Times

What are we about today?
 What is computer assisted reporting or

data journalism?

 How to identify and collect data.

By Flickr user Nick Piggott

 How to produce stories across beats—

education, courts, biz and government—using data.

 How to backstop/fact check data stories.

 How to build your own database.

 How to use data for breaking news.

 How to deal with dirty data.

Data Journalism
‘Data reporting is deeply rooted in investigative journalism and
isn’t just about statistics; its investigating how a systems works
compared to how its supposed to work.”

Sarah Cohen, NYT editor computer assisted reporting team

No one knows what the Matrix is! Or your
story!
The elements of data journalism
● Data analysis (using spreadsheets,
databases and statistical software)
● Mapping
● Visualization
● Scraping Web data
● Digital storytelling
Spreadsheets
Databases
Statistical software
 Why journalists should use data
● Allows journalists to see the “big picture.”
● Expands the story from competing he said/she
said.
● Allows us to find stories that we might
otherwise miss.
● Shift the focus from looking at one bad fruit to
the entire barrel.
● Puts the reporter in control, rather than
sources.
 Where to find data
● Government agencies
● Non-governmental organizations
● Websites
● Creating databases from scratch
Data journalism handbook
Math for journalists
 Case studies
The following are data journalism projects that I have
done at The New York Times and other places that show
that these kinds of stories are possible.
Corruption at the Department of
Homeland Security
When the ‘Bad Hombres’ work for ICE
The Wall
Your Visa is Denied
Fueling a crisis
Down Under
Mail Covers
NYT: Bed-rail deaths
NYT: RED
(MN) Star Tribune: Payday loans/check
cashing
Writing the data-based story
 What does the data show?
 What does it mean in the real world?
 Is there a ‘Donkey’ to help guide the
reader?
 Are their good anecdotes?
 Craft a beginning, middle and an ending.
 Turn the data into prose!