{
  "id": "2000-november-bits-bytes-and-barks",
  "slug": "2000-november-bits-bytes-and-barks",
  "url": "https://dwillis.github.io/uplink/article/2000-november-bits-bytes-and-barks.html",
  "year": 2000,
  "month": "November",
  "monthNum": 11,
  "headline": "Bits, Bytes and Barks",
  "kicker": "",
  "author_name": "",
  "author_title": "",
  "affiliation": "IRE and NICAR",
  "summary": "The NICAR Database Library has expanded its collection with new datasets including Storm Events, National Practitioner Databank, DOT Truck Census and Accidents, and Airmen Directory, while also announcing upcoming training bootcamps for journalism educators and students.",
  "keywords": [
    "databases",
    "journalism",
    "training"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Journalism & Newsroom",
    "Data & Databases",
    "Technology"
  ],
  "technologies": [
    "Internet",
    "World Wide Web"
  ],
  "full_text": "The NICAR Database Library has expanded its collection, adding two new datasets and bringing back three that have been unavailable for a couple years.\n\nStorm Events: This is the official U.S. government database of storm events around the country, including tornadoes, hurricanes, tropical storms, droughts, snowstorms, flash floods, hail, wild/forest fires, fog and avalanches. Fields include: date and time; states and counties involved; latitude and longitude; property and crop damage; and injuries and fatalities.\n\nNational Practitioner Databank: This database contains information about doctors and other health care practitioners who have had medical malpractice suits filed or adverse action taken against them. Although names are not included, some news organizations have been able to use this with other public records to identity individual practitioners.\n\nDOT Truck Census and Accidents: These two databases, which have not been available through NICAR for the last two years, are a good starting point for looking at motor carriers and truck accidents on U.S. roadways. The accidents data includes details on accidents involving vehicles owned by motor carriers. The census data allows you to find more details about those carriers, including the type of cargo they transport.\n\nAirmen Directory: Because of a fight over privacy, this database has not been available from the FAA for a couple years. A law passed in April 2000 once again made the data public, but airmen had the opportunity to withhold their names. The data currently holds names for about 65 percent of the airmen - both pilots and non-pilots - who have active certificates. Nothing is available on those airmen who opted for privacy. More information, including sample slices, record layout and costs, are available at www.ire.org/dadalibrary/databases. To order, call (573) 884-7332.\n\nBootcamp for educators\n\nIRE and NICAR will hold a Bootcamp geared for journalism educators, Jan. 14-17, 2001, in Columbia, Mo. The four-day seminar will teach computer-assisted reporting techniques and how to teach them. Instructors include IRE and NICAR Executive Director Brant Houston and Jo Craven McGinty, who teaches CAR at the Missouri School of Journalism.\n\nMore information, including registration details, is available at www.ire.org/training/jan14.html\n\nIRE Student Conference\n\nSponsored by IRE and NICAR and hosted by the Missouri School of Journalism, this one-day conference for journalism students will be held Saturday, March 31 in Columbia, Mo.\n\nIt will feature panels on topics that include investigating politicians and local government, investigating nonprofits, using the FOIA and local sunshine laws and producing the story for TV. Hands-on sessions on Internet searching, spreadsheets and database managers will also be held.\n\nMore information is available at www.ire.org/training/2001studentconfistucontraining.htm",
  "provenance": {
    "extracted_by": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6",
    "extracted_at": "2026-07-05",
    "verified": true
  },
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  "html_url": "https://dwillis.github.io/uplink/article/2000-november-bits-bytes-and-barks.html",
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}