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"The time away from journalism has helped me find my inspiration, to remember why I am a multimedia journalist in the first place. I've taken day trips to museums to see the interactive exhibits. I've attended (free) conferences to hear about not only what's being done to revitalize journalism, but the amazing technological advances that are happening outside of the journalism bubble. I'm even nearing the final stages of writing my first book.
"Of course, I'm not the only one to take advantage of being laid off. Unemployed journalists everywhere are using the experience as a starting point to create their own forms of journalism. The Arizona Guardian was founded by a group of journalists laid off from the East Valley Tribune. New Jersey Newsroom was created by former employees of the Star-Ledger. Everywhere journalists are creating new business models that may shape the future of the industry. And this, my friends, is why all the talk of journalism dying is hooey.
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Oakland Crimespotting is an interactive map of crimes in Oakland and a tool for understanding crime in cities. If you hear sirens in your neighborhood, you should know why. Crimespotting makes this possible with interactive maps, e-mail updates, and RSS feeds of crimes in areas that you care about.
We’ve found ourselves frustrated by the proprietary systems and long disclaimers that ultimately limit information available to the public. As citizens we have a right to public information. A clear understanding of our environment is essential to an informed citizenry.
Instead of simply knowing where a crime took place, we would like to investigate questions like: Is there more crime this week than last week? More this month than last? Do robberies tend to happen close to murders? We’re interested in everything from complex questions of patterns and trends, to the most local of concerns. If the local papers didn’t report a rash of car break-ins in your neighborhood, how would you know?
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Interview: "Stamen Design's data visualization projects bring a Tuftean sensibility to the realm of fast-moving realtime online information. In this conversation with host Jon Udell, founder Eric Rodenbeck talks about how his studio creates interactive experiences that enable people to ask, and answer, unforeseen questions."
NOTE: Rodenbeck is one of the founders of the Oakland Crimespotting project.
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