data-based investigative journalism

Data-based Investigative

JournalismSteve Doig

steve.doig@asu.edu

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)

My background

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.”

Investigative reporting

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

How do investigations start?

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)

Precision journalism

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

Some CAR-worthy investigative topics Official corruption Vote fraud Slum lords Environmental problems Kickbacks to public officials Business practices Dangerous medical devices Racial discrimination

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

Excel spreadsheet

Sorted

Filtered

Math and functions

Pivot tables

Data mapping

Other tools

Join IRE ($70/year) “Investigative Reporter’s Handbook” IRE beat books NICAR-L email list

Where to learn more

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

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

Investigative Reporters & Editors

www.ire.org

datadrivenjournalism.net

DataJournalismHandbook.org/

gijn.org

Questions?