The Centre for Investigative Journalism

Computer assisted reporting (CAR) is an increasingly important tool that enables journalists to add depth to their stories by accessing, making sense and presenting relevant government, financial, and social statistics.

This curriculum is not about learning software. It is about using off-the-shelf software to select and analyse databases to provide story tips or more depth and context for news stories. It is designed as three sequential tracks to take the journalist from the basics of finding and downloading data to more advanced techniques of exploring data and creating it for journalistic purposes.

Each track has specific skills to be achieved and relies on intensive practice and concentration. The materials will include exercises to use these techniques and a plan for effectively following up the training through web resources.

Beginners' track

This track will focus on more effective searching techniques, resources and data on the internet, downloading data, and doing basic analyses using spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel. The six-hour track will include finding regional and international data, downloading it to a PC, importing it into Excel, doing calculations, and sorting and filtering the data.

Intermediate track

This track will focus on data analysis using a spreadsheet and a database manager such as Microsoft Access. The first part of the six-hour track will move from filtering and sorting data in Excel to calculating rates and ratios for news stories, cross-tabulating data and generating graphics.

The second part will introduce participants to a database manager, showing how to select and filter information in a database manager and introducing users to summarising data effectively to find trends and story ideas.

Advanced track

This track will focus more closely on the techniques of summarising data and using relational databases to compare different files of information to see connections that could lead to new stories. Microsoft Access will be used.

Participants will also learn how to build their own databases when there is no electronic information or when governments or businesses refuse to release electronic data. Lastly, the track will include an overview of the new and increasing use of mapping (GIS) software to visualise the results of data analysis.

The instructors and trainers

Len Bruzzese

Deputy director of Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) and the National Institute of Computer Assisted Reporting (NICAR), and an assistant professor at the Missouri School of Journalism. Co-author of The Investigative Reporter's Handbook. Worked in daily journalism for 20 years, including writing, editing and management stints at USA Today and other Gannett dailies.

Brant Houston

Executive director of IRE and managing director of NICAR. Associate professor at Missouri School of Journalism, author of Computer Assisted Reporting: A Practical Guide and co-author of The Investigative Reporter's Handbook. Worked as daily reporter for 17 years.

Jennifer LaFleur

Currently on fellowship to the Reporters' Committee on Freedom of the Press. Formerly training director for IRE and NICAR. Also formerly database editor for the San Jose Mercury News and the St Louis Post-Dispatch.

Ron Nixon

Training director for IRE and NICAR. Formerly an investigative reporter with the Roanoke (Va.) Times.

Aron Pilhofer

Database editor at the Center for Public Integrity in Washington DC. Formerly director of IRE's Campaign Finance Information Center. Worked as a reporter in New Jersey and Delaware.

Jeff Porter

Director of the IRE and NICAR database library. Worked in daily journalism for 20 years, most recently for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette as its computer-assisted reporting specialist.

Neil Reisner

Special sections editor at Daily Business Review of South Florida. Formerly training director for IRE and NICAR. Has worked for nearly 20 years in daily journalism, including The Miami Herald.