New York Times Stops Playing "Catch-up"

A newsroom used computer analysis to investigate Congressional speaking fees, moving beyond simple totals to identify patterns, top earners, and regional breakdowns that surpassed competitors' reporting.

Last year, as best as we can determine, the total amount received by members of the House in outside speaking fees appeared in only two papers: The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times.

We decided to use the computer ourselves this year. As far as we know the two Timeses were still the only papers with the grand totals.

There was a difference, however: The New Yorkers, calculators in hand, merely produced a grand total for publication. The L.A. Times, armed with computers, was able to print a list of receipts by the California delegation and give details on contributions by particular industries, such as defense and tobacco.

But this year in New York we were able to print a "Top 10" list for both the House and the Senate. Also, using the computer, we were able to spot patterns that enriched the story. And we easily produced a sidebar on Congressmen from the New York area. Instead of playing catch-up, we're out in front of the story.