Workshops

C.A.R. Workshops

Beginning and Intermediate computer-assisted reporting at Ryerson University.

Please Note:
These are day long sessions on Friday and Saturday that you must sign up for on Thursday.  The maximum number of places is 50.
  

Beginning computer-assisted reporting
Computer-assisted reporting has helped break some of the biggest stories of this decade. But it all seems so intimidating. How do you get started? If you've been wondering how to take that first step, this workshop is for you. Expert instructors will show you how CAR can add depth and context to your reporting. You'll learn the basics of Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access, and how you can put them to work when you return to the office after the conference.

Intermediate CAR
This workshop will build on the Beginning CAR by focusing on database analysis and advanced spreadsheet techniques. The class will also address some important CAR concepts, such as how to think through a complex data problem and how to make your analysis easy for readers and listeners to understand. It will introduce students to some of the most common data issues and stumbling blocks. Among the skills taught will include grouping, advanced filtering, basic functions and pivot tables.

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C.A.R. workshops – no signup

Dig Deeper: Master the web as an investigative tool

Friday 9:30-10:30
Julian Sher, the creator of Journalism.net, ranked by Google among the top five journalism sites in the world will help you become a web master.  The web has created a generation of lazy journalist who think by putting in a few keywords in a search engine they have done enough.  Find out what you’re missing, the best tips, tools and tricks to find what you need; how to find reliable news quickly, how to spy on people and the latest free software to make your web research efficient and organized.

Social Network Analysis
Friday 9:30-10:30  -  Saturday 16:00-17:30
Social network analysis is a powerful tool for visualizing relationships between people, groups and organizations. Social scientists have been using social network analysis for decades, but only recently have journalists begun to adopt these same techniques to map the nexuses of power everywhere from city hall to global terrorism networks. This session will cover the basics of social network analysis and how it can be used to discover hidden connections.

Census Analysis
Friday 9:30-10:30
The Census is more than just a population count. Using Canadian census data, learn about the social, demographic and economic information that you can use to tell stories. You will get tips on how to access data down to the neighbourhood level and how to use the data to prepare statistical profiles of these neighbourhoods.

CSI Internet
Friday 11:00-12:30  -  Saturday 14:00-15:30
Forensic searching on the web! Find hidden data in photo's, Microsoft Word Documents, HTML and other material. Find the publication date, even when it's not there. Track down what organizations do with your questions by tracking the path of you e-mails. With great examples from BBC and LA Times

Mapping for Stories
Friday 11:00-12:30 – Sunday 10:00-11:00
Learn how the geographical information systems – statistical mapping – can led to stories you’d otherwise miss.  You’ll see a demonstration of how ArcGIS software helps many journalists add depth and context through spatial analysis and get a change to give the software a try.

Building Databases
Friday 11:00-12:30  -  Saturday 16:00-17:30
Using and understanding databases increases the intelligence of your reporting. Learn some tips and tricks and the latest in data analysis. Where to get data, importing, cleaning, and organizing your data. Also how and when to build your own database, good ways to share your data, and essential software.

Forensic Surfing
Friday 14:00-15:30  -  Saturday 11:00-12:30
The Web is a far more powerful research tool than many of us realize. With some surgical precision and advanced techniques, journalists can dig past quick keyword searches to find often invaluable information sitting just off the radar screen.

Advanced Mapping
Friday 14:00-15:30
Over the past decade, mapping has become a standard become can help reporters discover news stories that are otherwise  invisible to the naked eye. The software connects tabular data to physical locations, such as addresses, counties streets and postal codes. The software includes powerful visualization, query and analysis tools that can reveal patterns and trends that would be all but impossible to spot. In this session, participants will learn how to create simple maps and how to spot trends using the software’s visualization, filtering and analysis tools.

Environmental Data
Friday 14:00-15:30
Using and understanding Greenhouse gas emissions data
The public has made it clear; it wants real information about climate change.  Find out all about greenhouse gas emissions: what they are, how they are produced and how they’re estimated.  This workshop will use the emissions data you can get from the Canadian Federal Government.  With good use of examples, get the knowledge you need to better analyze this data and write stories that make sense.

RSS for Mortals
Friday 16:00-17:30
So you hate RSS because you hate information overflow? Think twice. Control the news flow by controlling RSS. RSS makes it possible for you to have news fed to you instead of searching for it – but it can be overwhelming. In this session you will learn how to organize information and how to search for great feeds. Monitor how foreign media write about your country, your region or famous persons, even in Chinese or Arabic. Use RSS for background stories. With free commercial license of NewzCrawler, worth $24.95.

Organizing Research
Friday 14:00-15:30
Organizing information sounds redundant. However, its a skill that must be developed like anything else. Whether its building chronologies, or using search engines to find documents on your desktop, its important to have a system in place to store all that material that we collect every day. This workshop will provide concrete suggestions on ways to make your desktop more user friendly.

Top 25 CAR Ideas 
Friday 16:00-17:30  -  Sunday 10:00-11:00
This session is guaranteed to get your creative juices flowing. Part seminar, part brain-storming session, part revival meeting -- participants will leave with ideas they can apply to their beats, and their newsrooms right away. The session will be led by award-winning  journalist and CAR guru Jennifer LeFleur, who has helped hundreds of reporters unleash their inner geek.

Go Beyond Google and Go Zen
Saturday 9:30-10:30
So you know Google and you consider yourself an experienced searcher? This workshop teaches you a simple, but powerful method to find hidden databases on the web, regardless of the topic. Forget your knowledge about the web. Empty your head. Go Zen. Only the humble will find hidden gems without effort. Experience the great paradox: find new information with Google that isn't in Google.         

Record Keeping
Saturday 9:30-10:30
How do you collect and store notes, phone numbers, documents, websites, recorded conversations and other findings on your PC? What kind of (free) software is out there ? What are the latest techniques to make your life easy?

Getting the Data 
Saturday 9:30-10:30
Getting access to secret data inside governments is mostly a question of persistence, tactic and the noble art of negotiation. That attitude for getting the data is the same from country to country.

Digging into the American Secret Archives
Saturday 11:00-12:30  -  Sunday 10:00-11:00
Journalists around the world can dig into American archives if they know where to look and what pitfalls to avoid. This session will examine how you can request and receive documents from U.S. archives in a step-by-step approach any journalist can follow.  And you’ll be surprised how much information on your country is held in these archives.

Libel-proofing your CAR investigation
Saturday 11:00-12:30
The numbers have been crunched, the documents have been read and the interviews are done – but is the story libel-proof? Tips on how to ensure CAR stories are complete and will stand up to legal scrutiny. We’ll demystify defamation law and explore the impact of recent British rulings that promise to protect “responsible journalism” here in Canada.

Project Management
Saturday 14:00-15:30
The basis for all good research, compiled into three techniques: - how to articulate proper and easy to use hypotheses to start your research and keep it focused - how to use checklists to keep track of topics, questions and sources - how to collect and store your notes and findings in a database specifically designed for journalistic use.