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Journalism Next by Mark Briggs Chapter 9 Blog

“Data-Driven Journalism and Digitizing Your Life”

The amount of information on the internet is endless. If you get too sucked in you will become burned out and not want to look at the computer screen ever again. So, in order to keep yourself sane you must organize, organize, organize!

You must use the technology to your benefit. It might seem like a complete waste of time downloading more and more technology to organize your technology, but it will help!

Once you have that down, the next step is to capitalize on the new technology. In order to capitalize on the technology Mark Briggs refers to “Getting Things Done” author David Allen.

“The key,” says David Allen, “is to find as few solutions as possible that do as many of the things on your list as possible.”

Are you a productive worker? Check here.

Like any busy writer it is very important to have time to write! But you also must save what you write.

“It’s been said,” says Briggs, “that computer users come in two varieties: those who back up their data, and those who will.”

Backing up data is extremely important! Who wants to try to remember a 750 word blog post verbatim? Not me.

Briggs then discusses how to capitalize on technology and be the most productive writer you can be. You can use programs that are online or that are on your computer and sync with everything online. My favorite is using on that is online so I can access everything from wherever I am.

Databases

• Access broad information and find localized points
• Give the raw information to the audience for them to search for what they want to know
• From one or two databases they can grow into a “dynamic and growing data set”, explains Briggs
• If you use a computer algorithms to help analyze the data in the database it can help journalists find information that they need to create a newsworthy story.

Briggs used a great example of the Google Map Mashups. Google left the codes open for people to expand upon and put in information. So, newspapers can create code for a localized map and publish specific areas where a crime took place, or streets that are closed that day or areas that have no power.