WRAL selected for data journalism pilot program

WRAL News is one of the two media organizations, and the only local television news station in the country, selected to take part in a new program launched by the Local Media Association, in partnership with the Facebook Journalism Project.

The project aims to transform local and statewide data into core stories for North Carolinians using new technology.

According to the press release:

Local Media Association, in partnership with Facebook Journalism Project, has launched a pilot project to empower smaller and mid-sized newsrooms to access and transform data into high-impact local journalism.

The pilot project will leverage tools and training from Crosstown and be implemented by WRAL-TV in Raleigh, N.C., and The Times-Picayune, The Advocate and NOLA.com in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, La.

Crosstown technology is designed to enable local newsrooms to access and convert relevant datasets conveniently into highly relevant local news reporting.

“This pilot project is designed to help busy newsrooms access and analyze local datasets and use that data to identify and report on local issues in ways that make numbers meaningful to their audiences,” said Frank Mungeam, chief innovation officer at LMA. “Making data accessible and actionable to all in the newsroom is key to our broader mission of sustainable models for local news.”

The technology was developed at the University of Southern California as a data tool for journalists in a collaboration between the Annenberg School of Journalism and the Viterbi School of Engineering.

“The goal of USC Annenberg’s Crosstown experiment is to harness data to help newsrooms across the country produce high-quality, cost-effective hyperlocal news,” said Gabriel Kahn of Crosstown. “By using data to surface stories on key quality-of-life issues, such as traffic, housing and crime, we can deliver neighborhood-level news in the form of charts, maps and stories for minimal costs.”

“We are absolutely thrilled to be part of this data pilot project in collaboration with Crosstown, LMA and Facebook. It’s a win for our organization and our readers. Proving relevant localized data is expensive and laborious. Thanks to this partnership, we will be able to advance the sophistication of our coverage with more robust data,” said Judi Terzotis, president and publisher of The Times-Picayune, The Advocate and NOLA.com.

“Our company has a proud tradition of using data to tell important stories on our TV and digital platforms,” said John Conway, WRAL Digital vice president. “The Crosstown tools and Facebook funding will allow us to amplify and expand that crucial reporting. We also look forward to testing new business models for serving our mass audience at a neighborhood level with hyper-local and highly relevant data.”

Funding from Facebook Journalism Project will enable each newsroom to employ a reporter dedicated to data journalism and the training and product development needed to equip each newsroom with Crosstown’s data tools and datasets relevant in their local community.

“The Facebook Journalism Project looks for ways to support the connection between journalists and the communities they serve. Crosstown’s technology represents an opportunity to both super-serve local audiences with relevant data and also help busy newsrooms more easily access and use data for reporting,” said Dorrine Mendoza with the Facebook Journalism Project.

“Finding new and smart ways to leverage the power of data for better local journalism is core to LMA’s mission of finding sustainable business models for local news,” added Nancy Lane, chief executive officer of LMA.

LMA will publish regular updates on lessons learned by the two newsrooms and, in collaboration with Crosstown, produce a data journalism playbook of best practices that can be implemented by other small and mid-sized newsrooms.