This document discusses the history of precision journalism, which uses documents and data in news reporting. It notes that precision journalism has grown with the rise of "data journalism" sites like 538.com and The Guardian. The document then outlines some of the key developments in the history of precision journalism, including its roots in foundations and social science, the role of computers and databases in facilitating data-driven reporting, and how the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting helped establish quantitative and data-based journalism. It argues understanding this history is important for making sense of the current state of data journalism.

1. The History of Precision Journalism (and
Why it Matters)
C.W. Anderson (University of Leeds)
December 5, 2017

2. Apostles of Certainty
 Part of a larger book project;
Oxford University Press 2018
 The history of how American
journalists have used
documents and data-(non-oral
evidence- in news reporting.
 Attempt to draw journalism
more into dialog with other
fields, like sociology,
anthropology, and economics.
 How these shifts relate to
larger changes in U.S. culture,
politics.

3. The Rise of “Data” Journalism
 Increasing attention being paid to various forms of
“quantified journalism” (Coddington 2015, Diakopoulos
2015, Usher 2017)
 Growth in the profession: 538.com, The Upshot, The
Guardian
 Often lump different forms of “quantified” journalism together.
 Simplistic origin stories- primarily a story about technology
and “entrepreneurial innovators.”
 Not just antiquarian concern; lack of clarity on topics makes
current state of data journalism difficult to understand.

4. The Basic History of Precision
Journalism

5. The Institutional and Cultural
History
 Foundations and Social Science
 The long history of “interpretive
journalism.”
 New Visions of Technology- Computers
and Databases
 CAR and NICAR
 Changing J-School Faculty

6. NICAR and Rethinking
Investigations
 Quantitative and
data-based
journalism found their
institutional home in
IRE / NICAR
 Irony: Weapons of
the bureaucracy now
turned against the
government.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

7. What Do Computers and
Databases Do?
 Computer: back of
the shop to the front
of the shop
 Database: Real
driver. Digitization of
public records.

8. Why Does this Matter in 2017?
• Context vs Individual Incidents
• Can we clearly state the “truth”
• Fake news and fact-checking