Data Editor Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
MaryJo Webster is a data journalist at the Star Tribune, where she teams up with other reporters for some of the paper's biggest investigative projects, but also spends a lot of time teaching reporters how to incorporate data into their everyday reporting. Prior to joining the Star Tribune in 2015, MaryJo worked at the St. Paul Pioneer Press, USA Today, the Center for Public Integrity, Investigative Reporters & Editors, and small daily papers in Minnesota and Wisconsin. She is also an adjunct instructor at the University of Minnesota journalism school and routinely teaches and speaks at journalism conferences. She has a master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. She lives in a suburb of Minneapolis with her husband and two children.
There’s often a perception that data journalism is reserved for investigative projects or in-depth reporting. MaryJo Webster explains how to tell powerful quick turnaround stories with data -- all on a deadline.
Coding has become an essential skill for newsroom journalists. Yet, despite the demand for these skills, many of us are still hesitant to get started. This edition will help you to take your first steps with code.
Data will often arrive on your doorstep with a problem -- or two, or three, or four. In the data journalism world, we call this ‘dirty data’. Usually it’s not bad enough to stop your great idea. But first you need to identify the problems.
With a 'data state of mind', you can start producing stories right away -- even if you barely know your way around a spreadsheet.