Data Driven #3: Car Data as Sensor of Institutions

TL;DR

Journalists discuss the challenges and benefits of using transportation-related data for accountability journalism.

Transcript

my name is chiral Phillips and we're going to go ahead and get started with the afternoon session I'm really excited to be here with a great group of journalists and and journalists who know all about using data for accountability journalism kind of public service journalism I'm a a professor a lecturer here at Stanford teaching data journalism and... Read More

Key Insights

• ♿ Public access to transportation data is essential for accountability journalism.
• 🤗 Public-private partnerships and privatization of data pose challenges to open government.
• 🚥 Transportation data can be used to uncover patterns and trends related to road conditions, racial profiling, and traffic violations.
• 🪡 Privacy concerns need to be addressed when collecting and analyzing transportation-related data.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are the biggest threats to open government in relation to transportation data?

The panel highlights the challenges of accessing public data, the privatization of data, and the restrictions imposed by public-private partnerships. There is a need for legislation to ensure transparency and access to transportation data.

Q: How can transportation data be used for accountability journalism?

Transportation data can be used to identify patterns and trends in road conditions, racial profiling, traffic violations, and more. It can shed light on issues of public safety, government accountability, and policy failures.

Q: Are there concerns about privacy when using transportation-related data?

There are privacy concerns when it comes to collecting and analyzing license plate data and GPS data. Striking a balance between transparency and privacy rights is crucial, especially when it comes to sensitive information like individual driving habits.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Chiral Phillips, a professor of data journalism, shares his experiences with transportation-related data journalism, including investigating road conditions in Michigan and racial profiling by the State Patrol in Seattle.

• Mo Tamman from Reuters talks about the field of data journalism, focusing on the importance of telling a story and making arguments based on accurate and fair data analysis.

• Michael Morrissey, founder of MuckRock, discusses the investigation on license plate scanning technology in Boston and the challenges of accessing and analyzing public data.

• Danielle Ivory from The New York Times explains the use of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data to analyze recalls and regulatory issues.

• Robert Benincasa from NPR highlights the use of car and vehicle data for safety-related stories and tracking police behavior.

• John Mains from the Florida Sun-Sentinel discusses the Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation into off-duty police speeding using electronic toll data.

• The panel also discusses the challenges of accessing public data, the privatization of data, and the potential benefits of using data for accountability journalism in transportation.