1. Data Journalism at CIR
(and beyond)
Jennifer LaFleur
Michael Corey

2. Data Journalism at CIR
⦿Apps developers
⦿Data journalists attached to topic teams
⦿Researcher
⦿Reporters who also do data analysis
⦿CIR provides data or helps other news
organizations

7. Painkiller prescriptions to veterans

10. Now

12. Drug seizures along U.S.-Mexican border

16. Lessons learned along the way
⦿ Data is not always rows and columns
⦿ Most government data is bad
⦿ Data doesn’t always have to come from FOIA
⦿ Even the most savvy data analyst needs to
wash, rinse, repeat
⦿ Transparent analyses make the best analyses

17. Data Challenges: Federal
⦿Many of these goals have not been met
⦿Outdated technology that makes providing
data difficult
⦿High charges for records
⦿Privatized data systems
⦿Use agreements
⦿Other statutes that protect information

19. Data Challenges: State/Local
⦿Inconsistent laws state by state
⦿California
• Lacks administrative appeal process
• High-cost charges for public records
• Agencies refuse, or are unable, to provide data
• Many records still in paper (yes, in the land of
technology)

21. Our goal: to put online child care
inspection and complaint records...
There are roughly 11,000 day care
facilities and preschools in the region.
We started with a small county, Napa,
to test the process. Through a public
records request, CIR and NBC Bay
Area got access to thousands of
paper files for the county. We’ve
scanned them and plan to sort and
publish the most relevant documents
online, including any findings from
inspection reports and complaint files.

22. Questions?
mcorey@cironline.org
jlafleur@cironline.org
cironline.org