{
  "id": "2003-novemberdecember-new-service-opens-door-to-most-recent-data",
  "slug": "2003-novemberdecember-new-service-opens-door-to-most-recent-data",
  "url": "https://dwillis.github.io/uplink/article/2003-novemberdecember-new-service-opens-door-to-most-recent-data.html",
  "year": 2003,
  "month": "November/December",
  "monthNum": 11,
  "headline": "New service opens door to most recent data",
  "kicker": "NICAR UPDATE",
  "author_name": "Hsuju Ho",
  "author_title": "",
  "affiliation": "IRE and NICAR",
  "summary": "The IRE and NICAR Database Library launched an online subscription service in spring 2003 that provides journalists with cleaned, updated government databases in real-time, eliminating the need to process raw data and enabling faster reporting on breaking news.",
  "keywords": [
    "databases",
    "journalists",
    "subscription"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Data & Databases",
    "Journalism & Newsroom",
    "Technology"
  ],
  "technologies": [
    "Access",
    "FoxPro",
    "CD-ROM",
    "FTP",
    "Internet",
    "World Wide Web"
  ],
  "full_text": "Deadline pressure can force journalists to set aside their data because of the time it takes to process and digest it. The IRE and NICAR Database Library now has a solution to that problem: a user-friendly online subscription service that provides cleaned and updated databases for instant use.\n\nIn the past, the Database Library staff took government data orders from journalists and made the data available on CD or via FTP download. Journalists can still purchase data this way and use the online subscription service to report on breaking news.\n\nThe online subscription service, introduced in spring 2003, allows journalists to obtain data as fast as a government agency updates it. IRE and NICAR set up a special Web page for each subscriber and links that page to the latest available data files.\n\nTwenty news organizations have signed on so far.\n\nThe Database Library processes the data and puts it in a format that is easy to use with Microsoft Access, FoxPro or other database managers. The service also includes the record layouts and other documentation.\n\nThe service not only provides a shortcut for journalists who lack the time to deal with raw data, it also helps save time for journalists who could process the data themselves but would rather spend their time on other pursuits.\n\nAnother advantage of the online service is that it makes data available to subscribers any time. Subscribers can download the data when they like, even on weekends.\n\nThe databases that are offered are released weekly or monthly by government agencies and then immediately processed by the Database Library. News organizations can update their own database as frequently as they wish.\n\nWeekly data updates offered on the service include the Federal Aviation Administration Accidents and Incident database, the FAA Service Difficulty Reports and Federal Election Commission campaign contributions.\n\nMonthly data updates include the FAA Aircraft Registry, FAA Airmen Directory and the Internal Revenue Service tax-exempt organization database.\n\nThe Database Library is adding databases from its extensive collection slowly to ensure proper processing and the accuracy of the data. Keep an eye on the IRE and NICAR listservs for additions to the online service.\n\nSubscribers also have the option of getting the data updates on CD every month.\n\nFor the latest database announcements and more information about the online subscription service, contact Jeff Porter, director of the Database Library by e-mail at jeff@ire.org, or see www.ire.org/datalibrary/databases.\n\nContact Hsuju Ho by e-mail at hsuju@ire.org.",
  "provenance": {
    "extracted_by": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6",
    "extracted_at": "2026-07-05",
    "verified": true
  },
  "similar": [
    {
      "slug": "1996-august-new-ire-l-and-nicar-l-addresses",
      "score": 0.225
    },
    {
      "slug": "2003-novemberdecember-bits-and-bytes",
      "score": 0.224
    },
    {
      "slug": "1991-may-uplink-subscription-news",
      "score": 0.217
    },
    {
      "slug": "1996-september-from-the-nicar-library",
      "score": 0.217
    },
    {
      "slug": "1996-june-from-the-nicar-library",
      "score": 0.204
    }
  ],
  "html_url": "https://dwillis.github.io/uplink/article/2003-novemberdecember-new-service-opens-door-to-most-recent-data.html",
  "json_url": "https://dwillis.github.io/uplink/article/2003-novemberdecember-new-service-opens-door-to-most-recent-data.json"
}