Analysis on records/CAR

Analysis on records/CAR

By Brittany Falkers

            An example of an article that makes effective use of records and computer assisted reporting is "Web maps localize Iowa air pollution" by Chris Hamby.

            Des Moines Register reporters Chase Davis and Perry Beeman spent months compiling and making sense of data for a series on air pollution in Iowa, according to Hamby.

            There were more than 1,600 facilities across the state, they employed a data editor James Wilkerson and digital projects editor Michael Corey to help make effective web mapping for they story.  

            In using computer assisted reporting programs to show mapping of pollution in Iowa, the reporters could create a story that was easier for the reader to understand.  The use visual reporting and multimedia made for an easier interpretation of the story by the readers.

            The reporters for this story employed the help of data editors and digital project editors, meaning, it took training and sophistication to compile and organize the data into maps.