Bits & Bytes — Uplink Archive

The IRE and NICAR Database Library has updated its FDA and NASA safety reporting databases with recent data, providing journalists with resources to investigate pharmaceutical and aviation issues. The article also announces the upcoming 2004 Computer-Assisted Reporting Conference in Cincinnati and describes how IRE and NICAR provide timely resources during breaking news events.

Bits & Bytes

Updated files

The IRE and NICAR Database Library now has FDA Adverse Events Reporting System data spanning 1969 through December 2002 and NASA Air Safety Reporting data covering 1988 through September 2003.

The FDA database contains more than 2 million medical problems associated with pharmaceutical products reported by manufacturers, health-care professionals and consumers. The database holds information about each drug's probable role in a patient's death, disability or other such event.

In 2000, for example, the Los Angeles Times found information suggesting that the FDA ignored warnings from its own scientists and sided with drug companies chasing profits.

Journalists have used the NASA data to identify aviation incidents and gather information about them for news stories. The database is composed of voluntary and anonymous reports about aviation safety filed by passengers, pilots, and controllers - anyone is eligible to file. The data is rich with detailed narratives about events such as the 1998 near collision between two foreign jumbo jets at JFK International Airport in New York.

To learn more about these and other databases, visit the IRE and NICAR Database Library on the Web at www.ire.org/datalibrary/databases or call 573-884-7711.

CAR Conference

Planning is under way for the 2004 Computer-Assisted Reporting Conference in Cincinnati, scheduled for March 12-14.

Panels and workshops will address campaign finance, census, military, federal contracts, international data, environment, local government, business, sports, health, education and much more.

For CAR beginners, special panels will be coordinated with hands-on classes. A special "Start to Finish" track will focus on broadcast needs and issues. Special pre-conference workshops will be offered March 11 for advanced CAR users.

Hands-on classes will cover basic to advanced skills in spreadsheets, database managers, the Internet, mapping, statistics, social network analysis, SQL and more.

For more information, registration and the latest schedule, visit www.ire.org/cincy04.

Breaking news

As major news breaks, IRE and NICAR update their Web pages to help journalists get a head start in reporting. When Hurricane Isabel struck North Carolina and Virginia, IRE and NICAR added hurricane story ideas, tipsheets and databases to the growing list of breaking news resources.

Although this year's hurricane season is over, many of the resources can be tapped during other disasters. See www.ire.org/inthenews archive.