Bits, Bytes and Barks — Uplink Archive

A journalism newsletter covering job transitions and opportunities in newsrooms, with a focus on computer-assisted reporting skills and proposed NICAR training seminars for intermediate data analysis, front-end development, and mapping.

Bits, Bytes and Barks

Moving on

Pontiac, Mich., Oakland Press reporter Jeff Green is leaving his job as environment/demographic/science reporter after seven years for a similar position as associate editor at Wards Automotive Reports in Southfield, Mich., a Wards Communication Publication. Green will continue to use CAR skills, adapting them to covering the automotive industry.

Jobs available

The Intelligencer Record, a Philadelphia suburban daily, seeks an aggressive, hard-working reporter. Internet, spreadsheet and database skills a big plus. Send letter, resume and clips to Lanny Morgnanesi, executive editor, The Intelligencer Record, Box 858, Doylestown, PA 18901.

The San Francisco Bay Guardian, an alternative weekly, seeks a city editor to manage newsroom and plan coverage of Bay Area news and progressive politics. Minimum three years management, editing, and investigative journalism experience required. Experience with computer-assisted reporting a plus.

Send cover letter, resume, three recent clips, and reference to News Editor Search, S.F. Bay Guardian, 520 Hampshire, San Francisco, CA 94110. No phone calls please.

Give us your opinion

In response to popular demand, NICAR is considering scheduling one or more three-day intermediate seminars in the coming year in Missouri and possibly at other sites. We would like your suggestions and thoughts.

Here are the proposed intermediate seminars:

Advanced data analysis: Covering advanced SQL queries, data cleaning, lookup tables and more. Also, problem data from miscoding to messy record layouts. Should we also include problems that government computer tapes offer?

Front-ends: Making data easier to search and use in the newsroom. This would involve using Access and Visual Basic, plus training in putting data up on internal Web sites.

Mapping: While the annual University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill workshop links statistics and mapping, this workshop would focus on the nuts and bolts of mapping. We probably would use ArcView, but also teach principles that could be applied to all mapping.

Last, we are looking at updating our Internet training again and would appreciate suggestions on that.

Please send messages to Brant Houston, NICAR managing director, at brant@nicar.org