Tips and resources for reporting on crime data

The CDC has an active dashboard that maps death rates across the country 
by Census tract, county or state. (CDC map)

Tips from a recent webinar with three crime data experts, narrated by Clark Merrefield of The Journalist's Resource, can help local journalists report on crime trends, fact-check law enforcement, discuss policy, and foster a dialogue about community safety. An edited version of Merrefield's tips from the discussion is shared below.

Get to know The Trace’s Gun Violence Data Hub, which meets three major needs for crime data research and reporting:

• The help desk, where anyone "can ask questions of reporters and editors at The Trace," Merrefield writes. "Reach out for help understanding gun violence in the areas you cover; collecting, cleaning and analyzing data on gun violence."
• A resource page that houses fact sheets, guides, and a glossary, which can aid in investigations of all sizes.
• The data library for "trustworthy data on a range of gun violence topics, from ghost guns to suicide to road rage," Merrefield notes. "The library includes data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Transportation Security Administration and many others."

Explore data focused on public safety research and data:

• The WONDER database from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention includes numbers on gun deaths and compressed mortality data.
• The Gun Violence Archive, which "tracks gun violence incidents across the country from more than 7,500 sources, including law enforcement agencies and news media reports," Merrefield writes.
• The Mapping Police Violence provides up-to-date data on police-involved killings in the U.S. 
• The CDC dashboard, which maps violent death rates across the country by Census tract, county or state. 

 Learn which data can help you fact-check statements from public officials.

"Beyond published data on reported crimes, victimization surveys are a major source of crime data that journalists can use to vet statements from officials," Merrefield explains. "The best known is the National Crime Victimization Survey from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. This survey each year reaches a nationally representative sample of roughly 240,000 people and asks whether they have been victims of personal or property crimes — and why the crime was or wasn’t reported to police."

To identify trends in a specific area, aim for at least 5 years of data.

If data doesn't make sense, question it. If it can't be verified, don't use it.

Merrefield's webinar panel experts included: Jeffrey A. Butts, a research professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Executive Director of the John Jay Research and Evaluation Center; Mensah M. Dean, a staff writer at The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom that covers gun violence; and George LeVines, editor of The Trace’s Gun Violence Data Hub, which is open to the public. 

Reporting on winter weather offers unique opportunities for community service and local stories

National Guard soldiers push a stuck motorist’s vehicle in Indiana.
(Indiana National Guard photo, Flickr CC, via SEJ)

Old Man Winter is here, and he appears to be angry, which may be miserable for most of us; however, seasonal swings provide a unique opportunity for community reporters who can offer highly localized weather data and stories to help their readers with local forecasts, weather warnings, safety reminders and precautions specific to regional needs.

The National Snow and Ice Data Center may have a global reach, but it also "monitors all kinds of things that may make more local news near you," reports Joseph A. Davis for the Society of Environmental Journalists.

"Maybe you live in a water-scarce area like California or the Colorado River Basin. The NSIDC not only monitors seasonal snowpack but translates that into meltwater potential."

When reporting about weather, it's good to remember that not everyone can work from home and "some people have to slog to work to make trips possible for those who do," Davis writes. "Wintry conditions affect the lives of all kinds of people. Plow operators can look forward to double shifts. . . . . Restaurant workers could lose their jobs if they don’t show for work. Farmers can lose their crops or livestock, and older people stuck at home if their heat goes out could die."

Stories can cover how local medical clinics and rural hospitals prepare for snow and ice storms, or could explore how highway officials and snowplow operators prepare for extreme winter weather. 

Davis recommends these reporting resources: 

• National Weather Service: Depending on your perspective, you may want to check in with your local NWS office for forecasts and alerts.
• National Snow and Ice Data Center: Not only does it have ski reports, but it also puts them in terms of global climate.
• National Integrated Drought Information System: A multi-agency government/academic data portal on drought conditions; check out its snow drought data and maps.
• California Snowpack Maps: Because snowpack predicts water supply, Californians check snow often. Good maps with the state’s Department of Water Resources and with the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest regional maps.
• SkiCentral: A commercial service tracking ski snow reports for the United States, Canada and beyond.
• OnTheSnow: A fairly good listing of snow conditions at most major ski areas. The site is ultimately aimed at getting paying guests to ski resorts.
• American Automobile Association: AAA offers travel advisories, although only to members of this road-travel service.