Why would a reporter want to access the Census on the Web? Easy. You can find data to add depth and context to your daily reporting or download large data sets for projects. You can keep yourself updated on developments at the Census Bureau and generate story ideas. It's a great resource, a site with statistical information ranging from population and housing to minority-owned businesses and international fertility rates.
Consisting of more than 40,000 pages, the Census Web site can be hard to navigate. Familiarize yourself with some of the tools mentioned below and you will be well on your way to utilizing its full potential.
Press releases, alerts and experts
Follow the News link off the main page to access tools the Bureau offers reporters. The Census Bureau posts all news releases in both chronological and subject order. News releases can also be sent directly to your e-mail. See www.census.gov/pubinfo/www/subscriptions.html. Each news release links to appropriate data sets, tables and reports. The press can also view embargoed news releases. Contact the Public Information Office.
If you need the names and phone numbers of Census Bureau employees who specialize in various areas of the Census, link to Ask the Experts at http://www.census.gov/contacts/www/contacts.html. Use State Data Centers to find more specifics for your state.
Understanding the data
Finding the information you need on deadline can be a challenge. If you are looking for demographic data, be aware of the two major summary data files: STF1 and STF3. The STF1 data are generated form responses to the more general Census short form. This form is sent to everyone and represents the 100 percent count of the population. The STF3 data are generated from the Census long form, which is sent to a sample of the population. The numbers provided are estimates, but the information tends to be more detailed.
The 1990 Census Lookup Tool http://venus.census.gov/cdrom/lookup provides quick access to every variable in the 1990 Census. From the Lookup, choose the appropriate data set – STF3A provides the greatest level of geographic detail.
Some of the most up-to-date yet overlooked data can be found in Census surveys. (See a complete listing at http://www.census.gov/main/www/surveys.html. Survey topics range from American Housing, Minority-Owned Business and Wildlife Recreation to Business Owners and Nationwide Truck Activity. The Current Population Survey (CPS) at http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/cpsmain.htm is one of the site's most useful surveys. However, because surveys occur more frequently, they tend to lack the geographic specificity of the census. Numbers are typically generated for the nation, states and, sometimes, metropolitan areas.
Quick hits
If you are on deadline, take advantage of the many lookup tools. In addition to the 1990 Census Lookup, tools are available for the Economic Census at http://www.census.gov/epcd/econ/www/lookups.html. Search County Business Patterns, the Census of Agriculture and U.S. Imports and Exports History.
As a member of the media, you have access to the great lookup tools in CenStats, located at http://www.census.gov/apsd/www/censtats.html. Call the PIO office for a user name and password. My personal favorite is the Census Tract Street Locator. Type in a street address and determine its census tract. Take that tract number back to the 1990 Census Lookup and get more information on a smaller corner of your city.
Use MapStats at http://www.census.gov/datamap/www/index.html to access county population data, county business pattern data, and Congressional district information.
The Census tries to provide quick access to the most popular Census variables (population, health insurance, marital status) at Hot Sites for the Media at http://www.census.gov/pubinfo/www/hot_frm.htm. Although you have to navigate through an unwieldy frames interface, this may be the fastest way to view comparative data broken down by race and ethnicity.