NICAR

NICAR
Name	NICAR
Type	nonprofit association
Formed	1989
Headquarters	United States
Focus	Investigative data journalism, computer-assisted reporting, data analysis

NICAR NICAR is a program and community focused on computer-assisted reporting and data journalism, bringing together journalists, technologists, librarians, and academics to improve reporting with public records, databases, and statistical methods. It operates within a broader ecosystem of journalism organizations, professional associations, and academic centers that include collaborations with newsrooms, universities, and civil society groups. Participants commonly engage with public-data sources, tools for data cleaning and visualization, and investigative techniques used across major projects in print, broadcast, and digital media.

History

NICAR originated in the late 20th century amid rising interest in computer-assisted reporting linked to developments at institutions such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, ProPublica, and university programs like the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and the Medill School of Journalism. Early allies included organizations such as the Investigative Reporters and Editors and the Society of Professional Journalists, with cross-pollination from initiatives at the Knight Foundation and technology groups at Harvard Kennedy School and MIT Media Lab. Over time, partnerships expanded to include collaborations with library networks like the American Library Association and data-focused projects at ICIJ, Data Journalism Foundation, and philanthropic funders supporting investigative work. The evolution reflected parallel advances in software such as Excel, MySQL, Python (programming language), and R (programming language), and the rise of open-data movements exemplified by Data.gov and Open Data Institute.

Mission and Activities

NICAR's mission emphasizes improving the quality of public-interest reporting through training, resource-sharing, and technical support, aligning with standards promoted by institutions like Reuters, Associated Press, BBC News, and academic centers like University of Missouri School of Journalism. Activities include curating datasets from agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Justice, and state-level public-record repositories, while also advancing methods used in projects associated with outlets like The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and NPR. The program fosters reproducible workflows akin to those advocated by the Open Knowledge Foundation and integrates practices from data-science communities at organizations such as Kaggle and GitHub.

Conferences and Events

NICAR is well known for annual conferences and regional events that convene speakers and trainers from news organizations, academic programs, and civic tech groups. Presenters have included reporters and developers from ProPublica, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, BuzzFeed News, Vox, and investigative units like Center for Investigative Reporting. Events often feature sessions led by contributors from foundations and labs, including the Knight Foundation, Google News Initiative, Mozilla Foundation, and university-based centers such as Tow Center for Digital Journalism and Reynolds Journalism Institute.

Training and Workshops

Workshops emphasize hands-on skills in data acquisition, cleaning, analysis, and visualization, taught using tools and languages including SQL, Python (programming language), R (programming language), Tableau, QGIS, and spreadsheet software used in reporting at newsrooms like Reuters and Associated Press. Trainers frequently hail from academic programs such as Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Medill School of Journalism, CUNY Journalism School, and nonprofits like Investigative Reporters and Editors and Data & Society. Specialized sessions cover topics tied to public records from agencies including the Internal Revenue Service, Securities and Exchange Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, and state-level archives.

Data Tools and Projects

NICAR supports and showcases tools and projects for journalists, including open-source software and shared code repositories that parallel efforts at GitHub, Mozilla, OpenRefine, and developer communities around D3.js and Leaflet (software). It has promoted projects for scraping and parsing data from sources such as state court systems, campaign-finance filings at the Federal Election Commission, and procurement databases used by reporters at ProPublica and The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Collaborations have intersected with initiatives like the DocumentCloud platform, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists's data work, and mapping efforts drawing on tools used by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Membership and Organization

Membership typically comprises journalists from national and local newsrooms, developers, librarians, academics, and advocates from organizations such as Investigative Reporters and Editors, Society of Professional Journalists, Association of Health Care Journalists, and university journalism faculties at Columbia University, Northwestern University, and University of California, Berkeley. Governance and programmatic support have historically involved professional associations, philanthropic partners like the Knight Foundation and MacArthur Foundation, and collaborations with civic-technology groups including Code for America and Sunlight Foundation.

Notable Investigations and Contributions

Workshops, datasets, and networks associated with NICAR have supported investigations by reporters and teams at outlets including ProPublica, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Bloomberg, and NPR. These projects have drawn on records from agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and state-level public-record systems, contributing to stories about corporate malfeasance, public-health crises, environmental hazards, and campaign finance. Techniques disseminated through the program have influenced award-winning investigations recognized by organizations such as the Pulitzer Prize and Investigative Reporters and Editors awards.

Category:Journalism organizations