Posts Tagged ‘Excel’
FBI Uniform Crime Reports for 2010 now available in NICAR Data Library
The NICAR Database Library has updated the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, one of the best resources for national crime statistics. WHAT’S IN IT?Law enforcement agencies around the country are required to submit reports to the FBI on what are known as “index” crimes: murder, nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor-vehicle theft…
Read MoreBehind the Story: The big business of ‘green’ buildings and LEED certification
Can a 50-story Las Vegas hotel be environmentally-friendly? This is the question USA Today reporter Tom Frank sought to answer when he began reporting on the increase in construction of so-called environmentally friendly buildings. Through his investigation, Frank found that green commercial construction has increased. Non-profits are behind the movement, but few have assessed the…
Read MoreBehind the Story: Investigating lost war records
In 2011, reporter Peter Sleeth was working on a historical account of a battle he had witnessed during his time as an embedded reporter in Iraq. His work on the piece stalled while researching Sgt. Jacob Butler, a soldier who had died in battle at As Samawah, Iraq in 2003. No one in the Army…
Read MoreBehind The Story: Comparing databases on bullying
Students head to lunch at Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Council Bluffs. The school district reported 58 alleged incidents to the state in five years, arguably a low rate for an urban district of 9,000 students. David Purdy/The Register In reporting, timing is everything. For Des Moines Register reporter Kyle Munson, the topic of bullying in…
Read MoreBloomberg reporters find FOIA failures in Obama administration
Transparency Watch is an occasional series from IRE tracking the fight for open records. If you have a story about a quest for public records you’d like to share, email us at web@ire.org. By Danielle Ivory, Bloomberg President Barack Obama on his first full day in office ordered federal officials to “usher in a new era of open…
Read MoreFinishing the CAR story, overcoming initial hurdles
By Laura KrantzGatehouse Media This summer I attended my first IRE conference, in Boston. I really wanted to learn Microsoft Excel skills and I did, thanks to patient IRE staff. But more importantly, I was inspired by all the ruthless journalists using creative ways to mine for data and writing compelling stories. I left itching to…
Read MorePANDA Project Turns 1.0
If you were at NICAR 2012 in February you may remember a man in a PANDA suit wandering the conference halls, flanked by a small group of news developers. At that time the PANDA Project was still a young project. We demoed our first beta release and helped folks install it using our very first…
Read MoreTalking your way to the truth, mastering the interview
By Chelsea Sheasley@csheasley The interview is at the heart of all reporting, but mastering it can take a lifetime. In IRE 2012’s panel Talking your way to the truth: The art of the interview, three veteran reporters shared their tips on what it takes to get sources to talk and how to get key information…
Read More10 candidates for 2012 IRE Board Election
Vote for 2012 IRE Board of Director Candidates… If you are unable to attend the 2012 IRE conference in Boston, and your membership is current to 7/1/12, then you can vote for your favorite candidate via absentee ballot… Voting privileges are granted to the professional (including international), academic and retiree membership categories. Your membership must…
Read MoreMembership Drive Deadline Monday, April 30
Monday April 30, is the deadline to join IRE or renew your membership and you’ll be entered in a drawing for one of three prizes: * Three hotel nights and free registration for the IRE Conference in Boston, June 14-17 * Two additional years of IRE membership at no cost * $50 in merchandise from…
Read More