Big Data Projects, Small Newsroom

Emma Carew Grovum || @emmacarewbit.ly/dataslides

This session is NOT about this:

3 things that are true

Every story can be a data story.Every journalist can be a data journalist.Every newsroom can produce kick-ass data journalism projects.

With every data project:

Ask what the goal is● Drive traffic● Social sharing/virality● Public edification● Social justice● New editorial product● Win awards

What challenge is your newsroom facing?● We don’t know where to get data/what to do

with the data we do have● We don’t have the resources to do intensive

data analysis● We don’t have the in-house tools/skills/talent

for a big fancy presentation

Get your staff in a “data state of mind”

h/t to MaryJo Webster for this term

Everyone needs to have ideas (and, anyone can have a data idea)

In a small newsroom, data projects are successful when everyone works

& produces at the top of their skill level.

In the beginning, emphasis on Skills over Tools

But then, do pick some tools and a style, and stick to them.

On every data project, someone should always be learning.

Always be graphing: everyone can and should contribute to visual

ideas

Ask: what’s the narrative? How do we want the user to explore the

data? How are we communicating that to them?

Common data project holdups* Data is dirty * Story isn’t focused* Package has too many moving pieces* Breaking news or daily news monopolizes time of key players * Lack of coordination* Data is still dirty

Data every day

Sometimes data means math

* Percent change* Adjust for inflation* Medians vs average* Rates and ratios

Steve Doig’s tipsheet: http://www.ibiblio.org/slanews/conferences/sla2005/programs/mathcrib.htm

Stay organized: Google Calendar, Trello, etc.

Join NICAR, get on the email list

http://www.ire.org/membership/

Stuff worth tryingGoogle RefineMySQL - SQLitePiktochart Google Fusion TablesHighchartsDatawrapperScrapeSimilar

TableauInfogramTrelloPanda ProjectTileMillChartbuilder

Great examples from small newsroomshttp://exoplanets.newscientistapps.com/http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/09/06/more-california-parents-opting-out-of-vaccines-look-up-your-school-online/http://news.stlpublicradio.org/numbers-lobbying-missourihttp://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2013/06/03/Government-consultants-everywhere/http://www.minnpost.com/crime#city/minneapolis/totalhttp://res.providencejournal.com/sports/assets/pages/redsox2013/http://wcfcourier.com/app/crime_map/https://github.com/csessig86/crime_maphttp://www.wausaudailyherald.com/interactive/article/99999999/WIS08/130624067/Interactive-graphic-Explore-where-boating-accidents-happen-Wisconsin-why?nclick_check=1 http://compasscayman.com/caycompass/2013/04/22/Ministries-release-travel-costs-since-2005/http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x1973694440/Sangamon-County-draws-workers-from-long-distances

Great examples from small newsroomshttp://mmj.vcu.edu/2013/10/13/map-of-uninsured-hispanics/http://www.thenewyorkworld.com/2013/10/14/dirty-supermarket/http://politisk.tv2.no/spesial/statsbudsjettet/2014/iframe/?new=yes#/~/statsbudsjettet-2014http://extra.twincities.com/car/maps/housing.htmhttp://extra.twincities.com/car/doctors/adverse.htmhttp://www.minnpost.com/data/2013/04/minnesota-legislative-bill-tracker#categorieshttp://code.minnpost.com/legislature-tracker/http://stateimpact.npr.org/ohio/2013/06/17/grading-the-teachers-analysis-shows-little-connection-between-pay-and-value-added-performance/ http://et.kent.edu/jmc40004/fees/http://carsforcoaches.wordpress.com/

Good reads & tutorialshttps://stevebuttry.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/advice-for-editors-lead-your-staff-in-learning-data-skills/http://extra.twincities.com/car/mj/DataStateOfMind.pdfhttp://dwillis.github.io/dashboards-for-reporting/#/http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/26567839/My%20Favorite%20%28Excel%29%20Things.pdfhttp://machlis.com/NICAR2013/http://docs.datawrapper.de/en/tutorial/https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LNz4Y23KKkvmmPxXjJxiiBpO0ttMabJL7uI4WggQuig/edit#slide=id.g1d30bf6a_0_116https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kRoK6oDtgRO-g1KAHBMaAFPFOEGYsr5p5kpllRIn_og/edithttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1DWcXAQTn0MVciZFj_J5b3L8XlhaRTx04MQAQ6bUAF_8/edit https://github.com/tthibo/SQL-Tutorial https://github.com/propublica/guides/blob/master/data-bulletproofing.md

What else??

http://bit.ly/datanotes