LaCrosse Tribune reporter turns IRE training into data-driven stories for community

In March, LaCrosse Tribune reporter Chris Hubbuch attended an IRE training event in Wisconsin, where introductions to Excel and data-driven journalism were on the agenda. Since then, he’s produced data-driven stories on foreclosures, property values, crime and waste. He even revelaed that the LaCrosse mayor’s pet license was out of date. Using federal data, the LaCrosse Tribune turned a story on deadline showing disparities in hospital charges, complete with an interactive data visualization. Here’s a look at some of the LaCrosse Tribune stories that IRE training helped make possible:

• When it comes to high-end housing, the Coulee Region is not created equal
• Churches seek relevance as many Americans turn away from organized religion
• Foreclosures: A look at housing in the Coulee Region over the past decade
• Following a trail of trash: What we throw away and where it ends up
• Crime wave? Despite high-profile killings, alcohol and domestic violence fuel rising crime rates
• Federal data reveals hospital charge disparities