Blog on Records/CAR
The report by the Star Tribune on the Bridge collapse of 35W is an example of computer assisted reporting.
The report uses records of where cars were, personal testimony and experiences of what happened, and police reports. The use of computers in this report make it possible to be as extensive as it is and as interactive as it is. It is a setup that just wouldn't function in print.
Reporters might have only needed basic blogging skills to actually enter the information, however, someone needed to produce the images and video, which involves programming. The reporting and gathering of information could largely be done by talking to people and witnesses, and victims, but the main computer skills rely on putting the findings online, and presenting them in an easily accessible and visual appealing manner.
The power of this reporting, I think lies in the images and the way in which it is interactive, so in that, a reporter would also need the skills for photography and editing on a computer. I think some of the programming, which although might be useful for a journalist to know, might need a professional. I am not positive about this, but as the site looks very professional, it was something I thought of. If this was not the case the reporters needed in depth computer skills to convey the message in the effective way that they chose.