Computer-Assisted Reporting

As personal computing grows, so do its applications in newsrooms. New hardware technology is introduced almost monthly. New versions of exisitng software and entirely new products are introduced on an annual basis. And, as more individuals in the newsroom become involved in computer-assisted reporting or online news research, the use of these tools grows. This book introduces readers to computer-assisted reporting and to describe how journalists are using personal computers for news gathering in modern print, broadcast and online newsrooms. It provides a discussion of technology and its applications to news reporting. This book focuses on the computerization of newsgathering. Not only does the computer assist journalists by making writing easier, but it also makes gathering and organizing information more efficient. As it begins, the book demonstrates methods for journalists to get more from their computers, such as data retrieval, data analysis, information storage, and dissemination of that information in both processed and unprocessed forms. The book concludes with a refined proposal, originally proposed in the first edition, for five stages for development of computer literacy in the newsroom.