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A seminar about how journalists are using data to aide their reporting, presented to Canadian federal public servants with Statistics Canada. This is part evangelism as I try to convince government to open up their data.
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Computer-Assisted Reporting (CAR)
Computer-Assisted Reporting (CAR)
Computer-Assisted Reporting or “CAR” Computer-Assisted Reporting or “CAR”
Better title: Data-Assisted Reporting.Or… reporting using data instead of, or along with, documents. Or… social science on a deadline.
Better title: Data-Assisted Reporting.Or… reporting using data instead of, or along with, documents. Or… social science on a deadline.
Useful data for journalistsUseful data for journalists
• Databases• Spreadsheets• Maps
• Databases• Spreadsheets• Maps
Without CAR…Without CAR…
Journalists come to governments and ask for statistics:- Population of my city?- CPI in February?- Housing starts in June?- Percentage of Francophones living in Manitoba?
Journalists come to governments and ask for statistics:- Population of my city?- CPI in February?- Housing starts in June?- Percentage of Francophones living in Manitoba?
With CAR…With CAR…
Journalists come to governments and ask for record-level data:- All homicides including FSA.- All reports of spills in the transport of dangerous goods.- Long/lat coordinates of all cell phone towers.
Journalists come to governments and ask for record-level data:- All homicides including FSA.- All reports of spills in the transport of dangerous goods.- Long/lat coordinates of all cell phone towers.
Why reporters use CAR?Why reporters use CAR?
• No more “according to…” State as fact, don’t attribute.• Uncovers stories even the subjects don’t know.• Confirms the obvious; reveals the unexpected.
• No more “according to…” State as fact, don’t attribute.• Uncovers stories even the subjects don’t know.• Confirms the obvious; reveals the unexpected.
Where we get dataWhere we get data
• Ask for it.• Download from the Web.• Scrape from the Web.• FOI or ATIP.
• Ask for it.• Download from the Web.• Scrape from the Web.• FOI or ATIP.
Commons CAR toolsCommons CAR tools
• DATABASES:MS Access, MySQL• SPREADSHEETS:MS Excel, OpenOffice• MAPPING:ArcView, MapInfo
• DATABASES:MS Access, MySQL• SPREADSHEETS:MS Excel, OpenOffice• MAPPING:ArcView, MapInfo
FOI/ATIP hurdlesFOI/ATIP hurdles
• Privacy.• Price.• General silliness.
• Privacy.• Price.• General silliness.
Worst for providing dataWorst for providing data
• Health Canada.• Industry Canada.• Foreign Affairs.
• Health Canada.• Industry Canada.• Foreign Affairs.
Best at providing dataBest at providing data
• Statistics Canada.• RCMP.• er…• …that’s it..
.
• Statistics Canada.• RCMP.• er…• …that’s it..
.
Send me your ideasSend me your ideas
• (613) 235-6685•
• http://www.sushiboy.org/car.pdf
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• (613) 235-6685•
• http://www.sushiboy.org/car.pdf
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