One of the most popular features and one that is often used as a first project for beginning CAR reporters is an analysis of pet licenses. Several newspapers and television stations have tried their hand at this story, analyzing the most popular breed, name, sex and color dogs by city or county.
Many cities already have their pet license information stored electronically, but some do not, requiring reporters to do their own data entry.
The results, however, are often worth it. It's a quick story that often gets the biggest of results reader interest. The Lawrence, Mass., Eagle-Tribune wrote a dog story in 1994 that was featured in IRE's "100 Computer-Assisted Stories." "It was a fun feature story that delighted our readers," Eagle-Tribune reporters wrote in the guide book. "It also showed other reporters and editors that not all computer-assisted reporting has to be lengthy investigative pieces."