{
  "id": "1999-may-discovering-data",
  "slug": "1999-may-discovering-data",
  "url": "https://dwillis.github.io/uplink/article/1999-may-discovering-data.html",
  "year": 1999,
  "month": "May",
  "monthNum": 5,
  "headline": "Discovering data",
  "kicker": "CAR REPORT FROM DENMARK",
  "author_name": "Flemming Svith and Nils Mulvad",
  "author_title": "",
  "affiliation": "Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten",
  "summary": "Reporters in Denmark founded the Danish Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting (DICAR) to promote data analysis skills and fight for better access to electronic public records.",
  "keywords": [
    "Denmark",
    "DICAR",
    "freedom of information"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Investigative Methods",
    "Journalism & Newsroom",
    "Technology"
  ],
  "technologies": [
    "Internet",
    "World Wide Web",
    "PC"
  ],
  "full_text": "During the last three years, computer-assisted reporting has developed in Denmark from something unknown to an established set of research and analytic skills. At the outset, there was a defeatist attitude toward CAR in Denmark, but that has changed fundamentally. Active reporters with different areas of expertise have cooperated with each other; a very competent freedom-of-information lawyer has joined the effort; and the management of the Danish School of Journalism has been supportive. All main Danish media today have heard about CAR and have journalists trained in it. But still only a few newspapers run CAR stories. In 1997 The Association of Computer-Assisted Reporting in Denmark (FCJ) was founded. Membership has increased steadily. In 1998 FCJ launched the first Danish CAR day. The association prepared an action program for the establishment of an institute for CAR. The program was to be based on three important principles: • It would be a nonprofit organization. • Active journalists would be in control. • Quick action in the beginning would secure a stable and democratic system for the future. In 1998 DICAR, the Danish Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting under the Danish School of Journalism (DJH), was established. Based on experience from Sweden and the United States, the institute filled the need for a more formal and ambitious structure of CAR training and communication. The statutes and a cooperation agreement with DJH are nearly finished. DICAR has established the first courses and completed a Web page (www.dicar.dk). The institute has also organized conferences, and it is beginning to receive money. There is so much work to do that it needs to hire a part-time employee. Things are moving ahead. Two main things are helping the process. One is the experience of American journalists in this field. Other is technological development in general, which puts PCs on the desks of journalists and the Internet in a central position for research. CAR is not an obscure realm of nerds but is broadly recognized in mainstream journalism because of the developing computer knowledge in society. One of the main obstacles is access to data. Denmark has 5.2 million inhabitants. Since 1970 the population has had some freedom of information; slowly, a practice of fighting for greater freedom has taken root. Like the authorities of other Scandinavian countries, the Danish government has become largely computerized. But its attitude toward granting access to electronic information has been very restrictive. When information is electronic, there is generally no legal basis for gaining access to it. Although no right of access to electronic data exists, many authorities are prepared to pass on information, anyway. Moreover, it is possible to invoke other acts and rules in order to generate interpretations that can be used later to formulate precise requests for an alteration of the existing rules. There have been some very good CAR stories proving that the skills do work in journalism. But still there haven't been sensational CAR stories. No CAR stories until now have been nominated for the Danish version of the Pulitzer Prize, Cavling-prisen. In the coming year, an important task is making the association and the institute both run stable – on a minor scale much like IRE and NICAR in the United States. Getting the Danish authorities to place an overview of their data on the Internet will be a future task. Other considerable tasks are continuing the dialogue with authorities – both concerning specific experiments with mailing lists and access to electronic documents – and regarding the broader and more fundamental issue of formulating proposals for law reform.",
  "provenance": {
    "extracted_by": "pre-v2",
    "extracted_at": "",
    "verified": true
  },
  "similar": [
    {
      "slug": "2000-march-making-car-progress",
      "score": 0.39
    },
    {
      "slug": "1997-october-denmark-update",
      "score": 0.284
    },
    {
      "slug": "1996-july-danes-battle-for-access",
      "score": 0.262
    },
    {
      "slug": "1996-november-join-the-fight",
      "score": 0.187
    },
    {
      "slug": "1995-october-access-to-electronic-records",
      "score": 0.186
    }
  ],
  "html_url": "https://dwillis.github.io/uplink/article/1999-may-discovering-data.html",
  "json_url": "https://dwillis.github.io/uplink/article/1999-may-discovering-data.json"
}