Search results for:
CAR guides: What a journalism/computer science student is looking forward to
By Dan Hill The hands-on workshops at last year’s conference blew me away, and I hope to leave Louisville with exposure to new tools I can put to use in the newsroom. Although technology is always changing and this year’s tools may soon be obsolete, there are some skills workshops I don’t want to miss.…
Read MoreBehind the Story: Tackling the unusual, problematic ‘contract for deed’ housing deal
Minneapolis Star Tribune photoRon Folger of Minneapolis lost his rental license last year city and began selling properties to low-income families on a plan known as a contract-for-deed transaction. In January, Jeffrey Meitrodt, Investigations Editor at the Star Tribune, reported on problematic contract-for-deed sales of homes in Minnesota’s Twin Cities. The sales are frequently used…
Read MoreCAR guides: Advice from a conference veteran
By Wendell Cochran For me, the NICAR conference is one of the highlights of the year. I have attended nearly every one since the first in Raleigh in 1993. Over the years, my roles have changed, but NICAR remains helpful to me. These days I don’t go so much to learn new skills or even…
Read MoreCO’s 5th largest school district hid millions while cutting student services
“Over the last three years, Denver’s fifth largest school district has cut its budget by more than $56 million, eliminated bus routes and cut more than 200 jobs and middle school sports.” “But a three-month investigation by FOX31 Denver raises serious questions regarding the district’s finances, its budget process and whether all those cuts were…
Read MoreCAR guides: Valuable sessions for an interactive news developer
By Derek Willis The first eight or 10 NICARs that I attended, I went heavy on the skills-based sessions, learning specific software from experienced users. As I’ve gravitated towards a (relatively) compact set of everyday tools, I find myself at more thematic sessions that dig deep into a specific problem or approach. One of the…
Read MoreCar guides: A government reporter’s conference plan
By Kate Martin I am really looking forward to this year’s NICAR conference. I started my data training in 2011 with IRE at a week-long CAR boot camp. These days I regularly use Excel and Access in my reporting for the Skagit Valley Herald, a daily with five newsroom reporters. After last year’s hands-on sessions on Tableau Public,…
Read MoreSeeking ideas for CAR 2013 Lightning Talks
Got an idea for a Lightning Talk at CAR 2013? The form for submitting talks is now available: http://ire.aronpilhofer.com/ Lightning talks are 5-minute presentations on topics wide and varied. If you’d like to submit a talk, please use the form linked above. We ask that only folks who are attending NICAR vote on the submissions, and…
Read MoreWashington police departments sold seized firearms
In its continuing series of investigative reports on gun crimes, Seattle’s KING TV found that police departments have not only been taking firearms off the streets with gun buyback events – some departments have been putting more firearms into circulation.
Read MoreCAR guides: A student’s plan for Louisville
A year or two ago, thanks to Hacks/Hackers, IRE and the University of Missouri, I became really interested in how I can use data and technology to make me a better reporter. I’ve made some progress since then, but at the end of the day, I’m still a beginning reporter who is looking for tools I…
Read MoreExtra Extra Monday: Crime inside NFL stadiums, Boeing supply chain outsourced, NRA freebies
The Sacramento BeeGuns rule street in west Lemon Hill neighborhood“Between January 2007 and November 2012, no other similarly sized area in Sacramento County had more reports of two categories of gun crimes: assault with a firearm and shooting into an occupied dwelling or vehicle.” The Denver PostDenver’s 911 call review shows a pattern of problemsIn…
Read More