Sarah Hutchins | Nov. 10, 2009
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| Photo by Sarah Hutchins |
| Data specialist Grant Smith talked to students about using numbers in online journalism via Skype. Assistant professor Hans Ibold is using the Internet-based technology to bring several guest speakers to his class this semester. |
In assistant professor Hans Ibold’s J201 Reporting, Writing and Editing II class this semester, students are linking up with professionals using Skype to have virtual face-to-face talks with guest lecturers. Skype, an Internet-based service, allows the students to see the speakers on their own computers and on the projection while they have real-time conversations.
Last week, Grant Smith, a freelance journalist and data specialist, joined students to discuss the power of data in online reporting. Before freelancing for The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Smith analyzed data for the Gannett News Service and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
"In the newsroom, everyone has a beat," Smith said. "My beat is really data."
Using numbers can inform a story, add depth and serve as an expert source, Smith said. Students looked at Smith’s Web site and some of his work as an example for how to incorporate numbers in a story.
Data can strengthen a news story, Smith said, citing an article he worked on about pets in a Memphis animal shelter.
Analyzing numbers can also lead to a story. While working at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Smith used data analysis to discover a race gap in pothole patching. By analyzing a variety of data, Smith and several other reporters discovered that the city fixed potholes slower in minority neighborhoods.
The hard facts strengthened the story and also "bulletproofed" the article from city officials denying the claims.
However, not all data is easy to work with. Smith explained the difference between clean and dirty data.
"The FEC (Federal Election Commission) has dirty data," he said. "It’s hard to interpret in the beginning because you don’t know what it means. It’s often coded so you don’t have clear descriptions."
Dirty data requires extra scrutiny, he said. Government data is filtered through several sources and the likelihood of an error is high. Smith said the best way to deal with data is to ask, does this make sense?
Combing through data can be a labor-intensive process. Smith tries to gather as much information as possible and identify the "minimal story" he could write if nothing major comes of the analysis.
"You have to be careful what data you get," Smith said. "You don’t want to do data for data’s sake."
A lot of Smith’s work with data ends up on The Commercial Appeal’s Data Center. The Web site includes databases on a variety of topics, including education, health and public safety.
Smith said The Commercial Appeal might link a crime story to the convicted felon database, or provide readers with a link to the gun permit database when a story about a shooting runs.
"You want to make sure people understand the data so that they know the value and reporting behind it," Smith advised.
Ibold said Smith’s visit was timed to coordinate with the beginning of a two-week database journalism unit. This is the second Skype visitor for the class. Brian Hamman, assistant editor with the New York Times’s Interactive News Technology division, video-chatted with the class earlier this semester. Ibold said he is also working on confirming a third guest.
More:
Check out these stories Smith mentioned in his talk about using data in stories:- Pets are victims of ruffff economy at Memphis Animal Service
- Race gap found in pothole patching
- Commercial Appeal Data Center
