Bits, Bytes and Barks — Uplink Archive

American University is offering a seminar on computers and federal government reporting, while NICAR highlights computer-assisted reporting stories and discounted software for journalists as the government pushes electronic mail adoption and proposes e-mail archiving rules.

Bits, Bytes and Barks

American U. plans CAR seminar

Journalists covering the federal government may want to look into a seminar entitled "Journalists, Computers and the Federal Government" July 17-22 at American University. For more information contact Wendell Cochran at (703)276-5805 or via email at WC9923a@american.edu

CAR stories in the NICAR library

After reading Dan Browning's Uplink story (March issue) on St. Louis restaurant inspections, Devin Smith of The Olympian in Olympia, WA., sent us his work using a county restaurant inspection. Clips of both pieces are available from NICAR. Among other articles, NICAR has received CAR stories from the Charlotte Observer on food inspections, criminals in the classroom, and foster care. The Roanoke Times & World-News sent us stories on parking tickets and the Wisconsin State Journal mailed more stories on crime from its excellent ongoing series called "City Of Hope." We also have the Akron Beacon Journal's Pulitzer Prize winning series "A Question of Color."

Attention NICAR shoppers

NICAR is working to make software less expensive for journalists. Our first offer is Nine-Track Express, which we will sell for $250, a discount of $149. We will let you know about other bargains as we arrange them.

Government continues infotech push

Journalists who have yet to go online will fall even farther behind during the next few years if the federal government follows recommendations to give all its employees access to electronic mail by 1997. In a report issued last month, the Government E-Mail Task Force also advised agencies to provide outside access to their networks and publish their e-mail addresses by the end of this year.

NARA proposes archiving e-mail

The National Archives Records Administration (NARA) has proposed new rules for treating electronic mail as public records that must be preserved, according to a recent article in Government Computer News. The proposal comes on the heels of a federal court ruling that ordered NARA to preserve all e-mail records along with agency documents. Although not all e-mail messages may qualify as public records, those created in the conduct of agency business do. Personal messages unrelated to agency business would not be included under the proposed rules.