Precision Journalism: A Reporter's Introduction to Social Science Methods

Description

Philip Meyer's work in precision journalism established a new and ongoing trend-the use by reporters of social science research techniques to increase the depth and accuracy of major stories. In this fully updated, fourth edition of the classic Precision Journalism (known as The New Precision Journalism in its third edition), Meyer shows journalists and students of journalism how to use new technology to analyze data and provide more precise information in easier-to-understand forms. New to this edition are an overview of the use of theory and science in journalism; game theory applications; introductions to lurking variables and multiple and logistic regression; and developments in election surveys. Key topics retained and updated include elements of data analysis; the use of statistics, computers, surveys, and experiments; database applications; and the politics of precision journalism. This accessible book is an important resource for working journalists and an indispensable text for all journalism majors. Dedication Contents Preface 1 The Journalism We Need 2 Using Numbers Rationally 3 Some Elements of Data Analysis 4 Harnessing the Power of Statistics 5 Computers 6 Surveys 7 Lurking Variables, Part I 8 Lurking Variables, Part II 9 Experiments: In the Lab, in the Field, and in Nature 10 Databases 11 How to Analyze an Election 12 The Politics of Precision Journalism Appendix: Three Things to Measure with Census Data Index About the Author