Data journalism reflects the increased role that numerical data plays in the production and distribution of information in the digital era. In the interest of sharpening this skill, the graphic above was produced from a data set released by the Main City Police Department.
To view the graphic online, visit https://infogr.am/millinials_are_bulk_of_drug_arrests
Media Matters conducted a detailed study of guest appearances in 2014 on five Sunday morning political talk shows that often set the media and political agenda for the week: ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos, CBS' Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer, Fox Broadcasting Co.'s Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, NBC's Meet the Press with Chuck Todd, and CNN's State of the Union with Candy Crowley.
Large disparities in diversity were evident in the appearances on the shows last year.
Media Matters wrote, "White men were the largest proportion of all guests on all shows. The proportion of white men was prominent on all four broadcast network shows and CNN: 67 percent of guests on Face the Nation were white men, 65 percent on Fox News Sunday, 59 percent on Meet the Press and This Week, and 55 percent on State of the Union. By contrast, white men make up only 32 percent of the general population, according to data from the U.S. Census.
Compared to Census data, white women were underrepresented on all five Sunday shows. African-American women, Latinos, Asian-Americans, and Middle Eastern guests were hosted extremely infrequently. In fact, Fox News Sunday hosted a single African-American woman the entire year and not one Latina, Face the Nation hosted a single Latina all year, and Fox News Sunday was the only show to host any Middle Eastern women -- a single one at that."
Every two years, The Fix issues a list of the best state political reporters – a beat comprised of arguably the most under-appreciated reporters in the political world. They rarely get the attention of their colleagues at the national level but are often covering the very politicians and national trends that come to impact the broad political landscape. However, their coverage of state and local politics is central to a functioning democracy – and a select few are making waves nationally for their acclaimed writing.
Here’s a glimpse of the statehouse reporters who received praise from our Hoosier press corps:
True to the digital pioneering of his campaign years, President Barack Obama has embarked on a new digital media tour in recent weeks to advance his talking points and policy proposals, often with minimal pushback from his interviewers. In many cases the media outlets have used their production tools to aid Obama in promoting his image, record and initiatives. But the interviews are raising eyebrows among the media press corps who questions whether these new media outlets are sacrificing their journalistic independence in making transactional exchanges with the administration.
Dylan Byers of Politico wrote on the issue late last week:
“The three interviews to date — with YouTube, BuzzFeed and Vox — have all put an emphasis on new methods of storytelling, from citizen interviews to .gifs to data visualization. In some cases, including the BuzzFeed Motion Pictures video in which Obama talks to himself and makes faces into a mirror while promoting HealthCare.gov, the engagements lack the critical approach often expected from political interviews….
“From the White House's perspective, sites like BuzzFeed and Vox provide a great opportunity to show off the "cool" Obama to millennials and hawk initiatives like HealthCare.gov. The new media companies don't lose out either: Through an interview with the commander in chief, they gain coveted clicks and political legitimacy…
“The videos have caused some veteran members of the White House press corps to scratch or shake their heads. Some are also questioning whether these new media outlets are making transactional exchanges with the administration, sacrificing their journalistic independence.”
“Sincerity and competence is a strong combination. In politics, it is everything.”
-Peggy Noonan
The Wall Street Journal
Peggy Noonan writes arguably the best op-ed column in America, in the prestigious Wall Street Journal. Both intelligent and masterfully artful in her words, Noonan sets a strong example for those wishing to pursue a career in high-stakes political journalism. The quote included above emulates Noonan’s belief in a political persuasion that values intelligence and integrity in order to reap success.
She was a primary speechwriter and Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan. Before entering the Reagan White House, Noonan was a producer and writer at CBS News in New York, and an adjunct professor of Journalism at New York University. Five of Noonan's books have been New York Times bestsellers. She has also been widely recognized for her regular appearances on ABC's This Week and NBC's Meet The Press.
The Daily Beast’s William B. Plowman doted on Noonan’s career in a piece that ran in The Daily Beast.
“Hers is a folksy conservatism that can appeal even to those who would not be caught dead reading the Journal’s editorial page,” said Plowman. “Inevitably, her non-doctrinaire methods antagonize the more ideological conservatives. A former Reagan speechwriter, she can turn a phrase as beautifully as Katarina Witt could pirouette on an ice rink.”
