Computer-Assisted Reporting at the African Conference

Interest in computer-assisted reporting is growing rapidly in Africa as journalists learn to use international databases for their work.

While a dozen investigative reporting sessions were going on at the first day of the African Investigative Journalism Conference, 20 plus journalists took several classes in computer-assisted reporting from Elena Egawhary of BBC Panorama in using spreadsheets for reporting and a session from Brant Houston of the University of Illinois College of Media (and former director of Investigative Reporters and Editors) in finding in useful databases on the Web.

Today, October 27, 2009, another group of 20 plus journalists are receiving hands-on training in a computer lab on the Wits University campus. On Wednesday training in advanced techniques will be offered. In addition, on Wednesday, Houston will do a demonstration of the value of The Ujima-Project, which offers downloadable data from U.S. agencies that contains information pertinent to African nations.

Both Egawhary and Houston will stay on after the conference to do more hands-on training for a small group of journalists on Thursday and Friday.