Alfredo Covaleda,
Bogota, Colombia
Stephen Guerin,
Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
James A. Trostle,
Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
In the IAJ's on-going search for new methodologies, reinforcing lessons often come through. On Saturday, April 30, NPR's Scott Simon taked with John Lentini about analyzing fires. Lentini's comments emphasize the need for questioning assumptions and pressing hard to clarify definitions. From NPR's “Weekend Edition Saturday:” “John Lentini, an arson expert, tells Scott Simon about changes that have brought into question many convictions based on outdated methods of determining arson. One of this convictions resulted in the execution of a Texas man in 2004.” To listen, click here.
Today's New York Times Science Section carries a column by Richard Friendman, M.D. about the challenge of explaining statistical concepts and probability to anyone. (Even journalists?) His conclusion: “The truth is that random events can make or break us. It is more comforting to believe in the power of hard work and merit than to think that probability reigns not only in the casino but in daily life.”
So there. See: “Mix Math and Medicine and Create Confusion.”
Spatial data analysis and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology contribute to the advancement of crime analysis and the better understanding of criminal behavior. Since 1997 the Mapping & Analysis for Public Safety (MAPS) program, formerly the Crime Mapping Research Center (CMRC), has reached out to academics and practitioners alike in the criminology, criminal justice and law enforcement communities to bridge the gap between research and practice. The MAPS program awards grants, sponsors conferences and workshops, publishes reports, and provides guidance. It also disseminates information on training opportunities in spatial data analysis techniques and GIS technology. In all, the program focuses on research, evaluation, development, coordination, and dissemination.
WHAT: Math for Journalists, a new and interactive online course and reference tool WHO: Written by Debbie Wolfe, technology training editor, St. Petersburg Times; designed by Casey Frechette, Poynter NewsU course administrator and Flash wizard WHEN: Available beginning today, Mon., April 11, 2005 at 9 a.m. EDT (US) WHERE: It's available where you are and when you need it. Just log onto the Web even if you only have a 56K dial-up modem. HOW: FREE thanks to the Poynter Institute and the Knight Foundation; just spend a few moments registering at Poynter's NewsU Web site at http://www.newsu.org WHY: Because many journalists need an easy to understand, available 24/7 and free resource to turn to for self-help with math. The content of the course is the collective wisdom of plenty of gifted math types written by one who is not, so it's the best of both worlds. Enjoy! Background about the Math for Journalists course: For the past 30 years, one of my professional goals has been to make routine math more routine for myself and other journalists. So, with this goal in mind, the NewsU staff at Poynter has helped me create an online and very interactive Math for Journalists course. Today just also happens to be the formal launch day for NewsU, Poynter's online university for journalists. You'll learn more about NewsU from official messages sent out to the industry by Poynter. In the Math for Journalists course, there are six theme areas packed with step-by-step formulas (I like to think of these as recipes), recipes for double checking your work, pop-up screens with common English tips, story examples, public records data examples and skill drills. And, by the way, the drills have plenty of skill levels to choose from so everyone will be challenged. The entire course has been written and designed to be used in the following ways: 1. LINEAR – Start from the beginning and work your way through 2. TOPICAL – Choose the order that makes the most sense to you 3. DEADLINE – Go right to the topic you need at that moment in time. The formulas and examples are right there without any fluff. Here's an outline of what's included in the initial launch: 1. REFRESHERS, includes terms and syntax; order of operations; and, fractions 2. BACKGROUNDERS, includes warm-up exercises; Web resources; and, math helpers 3. PERCENTS OF ALL KINDS, including percent change; percent of total; and, percentage point vs. percent 4. AVERAGES AND MORE, including mean; median; and, mode 5. NUMBER RELATIONSHIPS, including ratio; rank; and, rates with a special section on millage rates 6. ADVANCED TOPICS, including cost of living; weighted averaging; and, estimating the size of a crowd Take the course for a spin in whole or in part, then let me know what you think. As I hear about suggestions, additions will be made. “Just in time” newsroom math help and reference 24/7. Free. Forever. Now, is this cool or what?! Cheers! Debbie Wolfe Technology Training Editor St. Petersburg Times 800-333-7505, ext. 2919 727-892-2919 Preferred e-mail: dpwolfe@peoplepc.com Also, check these out these two Web sites: (1) http://canyonwolfephoto.com (2) http://usfspconvergence.blogspot.com
Matt Ericson, the top-flight map/infographics journalist/designer at The New York Times, produced another fine piece of work Tuesday related to changes in the Roman Catholic world. But what we get in print is superior [click here to see IoP version] to the online version of the cartogram (i.e. proportional map), which illustrates how the church has grown in Latin America, Africa and Asia. The print page positions the RC world c. 1900 right next to the RC population c. 2005. Readers' eyes can quickly shift from one region to the other and see the differences. On the other hand, the online treatment of those graphics, while supplying data for three different eras — 1900, 1978, 2005 — bring up each era individually, making it difficult to compare one to the others. Snazzy presentation, but at a loss of comprehension. Go to NYT story “Third World Represeents a New Factor in Pope's Succession” and click on the right column link for “Interactive: After John Paul II.” Then, after the java window pops up, click on “Changes in Catholics.”
GISCafe.com, an online magazine for the GIS community, recently established a site for “University GIS.” This includes a number of great tools for analytic journalists, not the least of which are syllabi for self-learning or running a training program in a newsroom, along with links to GIS experts around the nation who might be available as backstops on a GIS project.
One of the folks on Crimemapping made a fine contribution today filled with “heads-up” tips when it comes to crime mapping.
System Dynamics Society System dynamics is a methodology for studying and managing complex feedback systems, such as one finds in business and other social systems. In fact it has been used to address practically every sort of feedback system. While the word system has been applied to all sorts of situations, feedback is the differentiating descriptor here. Feedback refers to the situation of X affecting Y and Y in turn affecting X perhaps through a chain of causes and effects. One cannot study the link between X and Y and, independently, the link between Y and X and predict how the system will behave. Only the study of the whole system as a feedback system will lead to correct results.
Xcelsius does magical things for your Excel spreadsheets. It turns the numeric data into controlable Flash charts, which can be standalone “movies,” imported into PowerPoint or sent to colleagues as click-and-manipulate e-mail. Check out the Quicktime demos at http://www.infommersion.com/demos.html
This Gallery of Data Visualization displays some examples of the Best and Worst of Statistical Graphics, with the view that the contrast may be useful, inform current practice, and provide some pointers to both historical and current work. We go from what is arguably the best statistical graphic ever drawn, to the current record-holder for the worst. See http://www.math.yorku.ca/SCS/Gallery/
