Need Some Data? These Free Information Sources Are Just What You're Looking For.
As a journalist, you constantly need access to information, and the information can be difficult to track down. Over time, you will build connections and sources, but when you’re just starting out, even understanding where to turn to locate data is overwhelming. There’s always Google, of course, but Google adds more work in checking to make the sources you’ve found are reputable, are well thought-out and taken care of, are up to date, and more.
Here is a list of some easily accessible and reputable sources journalists can turn to for information.
Data.gov: This is a U.S. government website that provides access to thousands of datasets from various federal agencies. Over 250,000 datasets are available. Data.gov was launched in 2009 and is hosted by the U.S. General Services Administration, Technology Transformation Service. Federal agencies are required to catalog their data assets—just like they would inventory computers or desk chairs—in order to better manage and use these resources. They are then required to make these lists public.
Google Public Data Explorer: This platform allows journalists to explore and visualize datasets from different sources, including the World Bank, Eurostat, and more. The service not only allows journalists to look up code-compliant metadata, but can also turn the data into a graph or another visual medium. The datasets are limited, but useful for large scale national or international reporting.
Open Corporates: This is a database that provides information on millions of companies from around the world, including their legal name, registered address, and more. From their website: “We live in a corporate world – corporate entities now touch every part of our lives. The complex networks that form banks and financial companies; global tech giants that mediate our lives; shell companies used for money-laundering, organised crime and corruption – understanding this is critical to free and fair societies and the rule of law, as well as good business.” OpenCorporates is the largest corporate database in the world, and as such contains millions upon millions of datasets.
ProPublica Data Store: ProPublica is an investigative journalism organization that provides access to their datasets on a wide range of topics, including healthcare, criminal justice, and more. Currently, interested journalists can track the salmonella outbreak among U.S. chickens, and on the other end of the spectrum, can collect data from Congress in real time.
Pew Research Center: This organization conducts research on a variety of topics and provides data on trends in social, political, and economic issues. Pew also does studies that gauge public reactions to journalism itself, which can be useful for newsrooms looking for creative solutions on how to engage new readers and address problems with existing readers.
United Nations Statistics Division: The UN provides access to a wide range of datasets on topics such as population, health, and more. The datasets here are more applicable to reporting on the world stage, for example, comparing gross GDPs across the world, tracking trade agreements and statistics between participating nations, and, in recent years, tracking COVID-19 responses, death rates, infection rates, and vaccinations around the world.
Public Interest News Foundation (PINF): From the website: “The digital revolution has created huge challenges and exciting opportunities for public interest journalism in the UK. The business model for traditional newspapers has been damaged by the new media economy. At the same time, a new wave of high-quality journalism is emerging from the public interest news sector. Organisations in this sector include a mixture of start-ups and well-established newspapers, magazines and websites. They may be small businesses, but these publishers are making a big impact in their communities and around the world.” PINF has conducted several important studies about publishing news in the UK which newsrooms can and should consult.
The World Bank: The World Bank provides access to data on various economic indicators, such as GDP, inflation, and more. Journalists can find data on the micro level from each available dataset, meaning that journalists can research whether a country with a high gross GDP suffers from severe economic inequality within. Other datasets include data on agriculture and rural development, aid being given by participating parties, and climate change.
From these basic sources of information, journalists can start to complicate their searches by cross-referencing, emailing experts, requesting information via a Freedom Of Information Act Request, and juxtaposing the data here with on-the-ground coverage of their assigned topic. A strong foundation of free information is the basis of journalism, and in order for these sources to remain available and up-to-date, journalists should get used to checking them often.
