Pulitzer winner Michael J. Berens of the Chicago Tribune teaches journalists the basics of working with data to create powerful stories. He discusses file types and layouts, best practices in working with data, several federal websites with downloadable data, and data analysis using sorting, filtering and calculating. This presentation -- Data Journalism 101 -- was originally part of the Las Vegas NewsTrain on Oct. 10-11, 2014. This version was updated for DeKalb, Illinois, NewsTrain on Oct. 29-30, 2015. Please see associated handouts: The Data Journalist Checklist, Journalism Project Checklist, Web Tools - Finding Stories, and Finding the Story. NewsTrain is a traveling workshop for journalists sponsored by Associated Press Media Editors. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/NewsTrain

1. DATA JOURNALISM 101
MICHAEL J. BERENS | CHICAGO TRIBUNE | @MJBERENS1
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2. 2
The Death Ray
No piece of information
is insignificant

3. 3
The Death Ray

4. 4
How to request data
1 – Fixed-width
2 - Delimited

5. 5
Preferred format:
Comma-delimited text file

6. COMMA DELIMITED “RAW” DATA
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Text for slides is ARIAL (BODY)
36 PT

7. 7
File layout
(secret weapon to finding
stories)

8. FIELDS, POSITION, TYPE, LENGTH
Field
Number Variable Type Format Label Comment
1 SEQ_NO Char $10. Sequence Number
Unique sequence number assigned to each record within a year. First four digits
are the year of discharge.
2 REC_KEY Num 11. Record Key Unique number assigned to each CHARS record. Added in 2003.
3 STAYTYPE Char $1 Type of Stay
1 = Inpatient
2 = Observation patient
4 HOSPITAL Char $4 Hospital Number
DOH assigned hospital number.
Fourth character describes the Medicare certified unit type with:
blank = acute care
R = Rehabilitation unit
P = Psychiatric unit
S = Swing bed unit
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A = Alcohol (discontinued after 1992)
B = Bone marrow transplants (discontinued after 2000)
E = Extended care (discontinued after 2001)
H = Tacoma General & Group Health combined (discontinued after 1992)
I = Group Health only at Tacoma General (discontinued after 1992)
5 LINENO Num 3. Number of Reported Revenue Items Codes
6 ZIPCODE Char $5 Patient's Zip Code
99999 indicates the zip code is unknown.
99998 indicates homelessness (some homeless patients may have a zip code for a shelter or
other temporary location).
Blanks indicate non-U.S. residence.
7 STATERES Char $2 State of Residence
State abbreviation used by U.S. Postal Service.
This is assigned from the zip code.
Residents with zip code 99998 are assigned to Washington
XX = invalid zip code or a non-U.S. residence.

10. FINDING
STORIES THAT
LURK IN CODE
KEYS

12. REPORTING TIP
Make a master copy
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13. REPORTING TIP
Keep a log
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14. DELIMITED FILE
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Text for slides is ARIAL (BODY)
36 PT

15. HUNTING DATABASE
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Text for slides is ARIAL (BODY)
36 PT

16. OTHER TYPES OF DELIMITERS
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17. FIXED WIDTH
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18. FIXED WIDTH
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19. FPDS.GOV
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FPDS.GOV

20. SEARCHING FOR MICROSOFT
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21. CSV = EXCEL FORMAT
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22. INSTANT DATABASE
17,583 RECORDS
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23. FDA.GOV
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FDA.GOV

24. 24

25. WEB SCRAPING – COPY / PASTE
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26. WORKING
WITH DATA
SORT * FILTER * CALCULATIONS

27. THE TIP
It’s hunting season, again, and your editor wants a
daily story about this seasonal rite of passage.
What is the most common type of injury?
What day was the deadliest for hunters?
How often is impairment (drugs / alcohol) a factor?
And dozens of other questions
“Interview the data”

28. HUNTING DATABASE

29. THE TIP
•Sources say that football coaches routinely
earn higher salaries than the most experienced
teachers.
•Anecdotally, it appears to be true, but other
sources say it’s an isolated issue.
•How do you attack the story and QUANTIFY
the issue conclusively – avoiding the he said,
she said conundrum?

30. CALCULATIONS

31. Don’t be
obsolete.
Journalism is a
continuing-
education job.
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