CAR Conference Blog
Help us choose repeat classes for 2018 CAR Conference
We hope you’re joining us in Chicago, March 8-11 for the 2018 CAR Conference. We want to hear which hands-on classes you’re most excited to attend. Consider taking our survey to help us plan repeat sessions. We’ll keep the survey open through Tuesday, December 12. At that time, we’ll tally the votes to help us plan repeats of…
Read MoreSubmit your ideas now for the 2018 CAR Conference
Our annual data journalism conference will be taking place March 8-11, 2018 in Chicago — and we want your input! Use this form to share ideas, suggestions and other comments you think will help us plan the best possible conference. The only required field is your contact information (in case we want to follow up).…
Read MoreUsing election data beyond the results
By Soo Rin Kim You’re a city government reporter and you’re on a deadline to write about a public hearing on the city’s zoning overhaul. You want to quote a resident who made an interesting comment at the hearing, but you forgot to get the exact spelling of his name (oops!). What do you do?…
Read MoreFive things I learned at my first CAR Conference
By Amanda Nero The CAR Conference came and went much too quickly. Luckily, it’s nearly impossible to walk away from the conference empty-handed. Whether it’s technical skills or a deeper understanding of the data community and its importance, hopefully you walked away with a memento to remember the conference by. Here are some conference takeaways…
Read MoreBattling burnout in a tweet-breaking world
By Uliana Pavlova “If you think you are indispensable, just die and see what happens.” – Ron Nixon It seems almost impossible to find a work/life balance when you’re a journalist in a constantly shrinking industry. In the world of breaking news and Twitter, it’s hard to unplug. Nixon, a Washington correspondent with The New…
Read MoreFriendly robots: How journalists can use bots in the newsroom
By Dariya Tsyrenzhapova The definition of bots is murky, but expectations for the use of artificial intelligence tools in news organizations is on the rise. Bots, like automated personal assistants, can collect information, execute actions, generate content and even emulate humans, said Tiff Fehr, an interactives editor at The New York Times. Fehr moderated a 2017…
Read MoreBest practices for measuring impact
By Natalie Lung Two factors measure the impact of journalism: the output (how much work has been done), and its significance. But Tom Rosenstiel, executive director of the American Press Institute (API), thinks newsrooms don’t actually measure much of either. At a 2017 CAR Conference panel, Rosenstiel spoke alongside Lindsay Green-Barber, former director of strategic…
Read MoreUsing data to investigate the planet
By Haotian Mai A panel of environmental reporters gathered at the 2017 CAR Conference to discuss stories based on public and private data sources. Dinah Pulver of the Dayton Beach News-Journal helps build and maintain the paper’s database of shark bites. In addition to their own database, Pulver also finds water.usgs.gov useful for a variety sources of…
Read MoreSecuring data, sources and yourself
By Uliana Pavlova We live in the age of cybersecurity, when it is more important than ever to protect our information and sources digitally. Olivia Martin from the Freedom of the Press Foundation and Mike Tigas of ProPublica offered useful tips and tools on digital security for journalists at the CAR Conference. Why does security…
Read MoreLeft brain, right brain: How drawing can help journalists find focus
By Abigail West The left brain is commonly understood as the logical side, and the right brain as the creative, intuitive side. This is not accurate. The correct way to look at the brain is that the left side is the verbal side. It is conceptual and anticipatory. The left brain will apply already known…
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