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Using data in science journalism

Using data in science journalism. Steve Doig Cronkite school of Journalism Arizona State University. Precision journalism. “The plural of anecdote is not evidence.” Pioneers: Cronkite, Herald and Inquirer

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Using data in science journalism

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  1. Using data in science journalism Steve Doig Cronkite school of Journalism Arizona State University

  2. Precision journalism “The plural of anecdote is not evidence.” Pioneers: Cronkite, Herald and Inquirer Phil Meyer wrote the book in 1972 calling for journalists to use social science methods Some journalists began doing computer-assisted reporting in the early 1980s NICAR created in early 1990s Today hundreds of reporters doing precision journalism

  3. Data-driven stories Sociology: “Color of Money”, census Weather disaster: “What Went Wrong”, Katrina Environment: “Boss Hog”, “Toxic Waters”, FL wetlands, “Ghost Factories”, “Smokestack Effect”, Medical: “Culture of Resistance”, radiation errors, Medicare fraud, “Playing with Fire”

  4. Technical Tools Search (browser and Google) Spreadsheet (Excel) Database manager (Access, MySQL) Statistical software (SPSS, R) Programming (SAS, perl, Python, et al.) Mapping (ArcMap, QGIS, Mapmaker) Visualization (Google Fusion Tables, R, Stata, et al.) Exotica: GPS, satellite imagery

  5. Methods • Newsroom math: Percentage change, crowd counting, etc. • Descriptive statistics: Mean, median, range • Correlation and regression • Understanding p-values and confidence intervals • Indexes: • Dissimilarity (measures segregation) • Diversity (measures population mix) • Benford’s Law (used in forensic accounting) • HHI (measures market competitiveness)

  6. Science.gov

  7. Data.gov

  8. NationalAtlas.gov

  9. Eurekalert.org

  10. Strategies Which agency would have the data you want? Science data agencies: FDA, EPA, NSF, Census, CDC, NRC, FAA, NTSB, NHTSA… Look for “data” links Science societies and journals: AAAS, AMA, et al. Get on email lists of agencies and societies that interest you Join NASW (and IRE) Use search to find scholars working in your field Monitor e-journals like Arxiv.org

  11. www.public.asu.edu/~sdoig/knight/ Take a Break!

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