The NPC Journalism Institute is announcing its Data-Powered Journalism Series. The Institute will be hosting a progressive series of training sessions in the coming weeks on how spreadsheets and databases can add a valuable new dimension to Washington stories.
The sessions will be taught by David Donald , data editor at the Center for Public Integrity, and former training director for Investigative Reporters and Editors and the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting.
Sign up now to master the skills that take you beyond great interviewing and document digging. The sessions will be divided into three classes, starting in late May. Admission is $5 for members per class, $25 for non-members per class. Space is limited, so please reserve early.
May 29 - Don't fear the math: Turning numbers into stories and stories into award-winners
Excel is more than a program for doing your expenses. It can be a powerful tool for understanding how things work on your beat, following the campaign money and holding accountable the officials who spend our tax dollars. This introduction to Excel class will show how just a little number-crunching can improve both deadline stories and bigger projects.
June 25 - Excel-ing at data reporting
Using powerful spreadsheet tools like pivot tables can give you the advantage of knowledge. Want to take the smug press secretary down a notch? With a few clicks of the mouse and a spreadsheet, you can show him that you know more about the subject than him or his boss. It's not that easy, of course, but this advanced Excel class will help you get a leg up on your sources.
Participation requires completing the introduction to Excel class, or demonstrated ability with Excel, at the discretion of the instructor.
August (exact date TBD) - Access the power
'Database managers' might sound like the guys who tell you to clean out your email inbox. But they're not. Relational databases allow you to make connections in data that would never be visible sifting through documents or talking to experts. With databases like Access you can master some of the huge datasets where the secrets of governments, companies and candidates are hidden. Participation requires completing the advanced Excel class, or demonstrated ability with Excel, at the discretion of the instructor.