It is safe to say that the internet has changed the way we live our lives. It has also made it easier for the average person to find out information. Most of this data has always been available, but the introduction of online databases has made it easier to search for and compile all different types of facts. This is especially helpful to journalists looking to gather information to write a story.
If Boston is the focus of your piece, Boston.com will probably be a website to visit. The site features MassFacts – a database with a section titled “Your Town”, which includes charts representing all things Massachusetts. As someone who hadn’t experienced much of Boston before arriving to begin college in September 2008, I found out a lot of information about the city from this website. One chart I could not find would have helped clear up a misconception I had a few years ago.
When I came to Boston, I was under the impression that everybody in the city was a student. I had heard about the number of colleges in the Greater Boston area and I remember hearing that one in every five residents was enrolled in college. I’d like to know what the actual statistics are. A chart detailing this would fit well in the “Your Town” section of MassFacts. This graph would compare the number of students living in the greater Boston area to the number of residents. It should also make note of students who have traveled from out-of-state to study in Massachusetts.
Thurgood Marshall Courthouse
Another reason online databases are helpful for journalists is that it can create story ideas. There is a wealth of information on the Eye on the Stimulus page at ProPublica.org, which allows you to see the allocation of stimulus funds to projects in cities across the United States. Being from Queens, NY, I searched for a local project of interest.
There were a number of different entries that caught my eye, but one in particular stood out. The Cauldwell-Wingate Company received $64 million to perform an “infrastructure upgrade” to the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse in lower Manhattan. The award was given by the General Services Administration / Public Buildings Service on April 15, 2009.
The historic building opened in 1936 and is listed on the National Register of Historic places. The building was in the national spotlight as recently as 2004 as the site of the Martha Stewart stock trading trial. According to Stimuluswatch.org, less than 50% of the project has been completed. The Electric service on three of four Con Ed serviced floors has been upgraded and electric distribution has started. Plumbing in the basement has begun installation and is approximately 50% complete.
I think a simple piece about the historical significance of the courthouse would be an interesting one for a New York City newspaper. Or we could delve into the specifics of the renovation. Were there safety risks that are now being resolved due to the recent infrastructure upgrade? Or was this strictly a cosmetic improvement?
Another great online resource is brought to us by The New York Times. The issue of clean water is one that is important to all of us and the Times’ “Toxic Waters” project allows the average person to see which facilities have permits to discharge wastewater. By entering my zip code, a map pinpointing various locations in my area appears and any infractions or fines they have received become visible.
One report that stood out was John F. Kennedy International Airport, which received 69 violations since 2004. This includes 18 effluent violations, 14 permit violations and 37 “other violations”. Yet according to the website, the airport received $0 in fines. I think the obvious story here is whether these multiple violations posed any health risk to the millions of people that pass through these terminals year round. And with dozens of violations, why were there no fines handed out? Have all problems been resolved?
Journalists have always had the ability to find stories, but with online databases popping up on various websites, gathering this information has become a whole lot easier.
The World of Radio 
