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Bulletproofing the investigation
JAWS 2014
Jennifer LaFleur, CIR
(With artwork from young friends of journalism)
Investigative reporting is a powerful tool.
Snapshot of big famous story.
It can make this
Into this
It gives us the power to check assumptions.
Know the extremes
First, we must face a fact.
But don’t be afraid…
Bulletproof your data and documents
Before ever reporting data or building an appDo integrity checks to find the flawsAdd caveats where necessaryDo your own analysis rather than relying on an agency’s analysis
External checks
Understand what the data and documents mean.Know how many records you should have.Check counts and totals against reports.Are all possibilities included?
Internal checksCompare fields to check for red flags• More teachers than students• More money going to vendors
than to contractors• What things just don’t make
sense
Integrity checks for every data set
Check for missing data/documents
Integrity checks for every data set
Check for missing dataCheck for duplicates
Duplicates may not always be obvious
Integrity checks for every data set
Check for missing data, misplaced data or blank fields Check for duplicatesTake margins of error into account if necessary
Median HH Income by Metro Area
Integrity checks for every data set
Check for missing data, misplaced data or blank fields Check for duplicatesTake margins of error into account if necessary (important if you’re using Census data).Check for outliers and extreme ups and downs
Truck accidents by year and agency
Beyond the basics
Keep a notes fileIf you’re working with data or documents – keep a copy of your originalKnow the sourceCheck against summary reports As you begin to write, footnote your documents and data
Texas test score data official results versus district
Duncanville district reported 4th grade writing
Official report for Duncanville 4th grade writing
Courtesy Holly Hacker, The Dallas Morning News
Beyond the basics
Keep a notes fileIf you’re working with data or documents – keep a copy of your originalKnow the sourceCheck against summary reportsUse the right tool
H/T Matt Waite
Disparities in water usage
“Water use highest in poor areas of the city”Mapping and statistical analysis
Beyond the basics
Check with expertsKnow the standardsFind out what others have done Gut check – does it just seem wrong?
Beyond the basics
Check with expertsKnow the standardsFind out what others have done Gut checkGo physically see a record or spot check against documents
If you’re matching or backgrounding people…
A name is not enough. Lots of people have the same name
Get dates of birth and other information to make sure you have the correct person.
Even people with seemingly unique names aren’t so unique
Be transparent: Bounce your findings off targets and tell users/readers/viewers what you did.
From the data source
Get the questionnaire and methodologyBeware of nonscientific methods: Web surveys, man on the streetKnow the sample sizeAccount for margin of error and non-responseRun statistical tests on the data if possible
Erroneous government databases can often be a story themselves
123456789 compared to 123-456-789
What appears to be an error may be the story.
Why data?
Contrasts are in the dataYour most powerful figures are in the dataYou can make connections you might not be able to make otherwise
Why data?
Contrasts are in the dataYour most powerful figures are in the dataYou can make connections you might not be able to make otherwiseTest assumptions
When there is no data, you may have to make your own.
From the data source
Get the questionnaire and methodologyBeware of nonscientific methods: Web surveys, man on the street
@j_la28 [email protected]
A special thanks to: Tracy, Olivia, Iris, Emmeline, Thomas, Silas, Carson, Harper and Erin
