links for 2011-02-09

A data journalist should have the news sense of a traditional journalist, a broad and deep social media presence, and be tech-savvy enough to be able to do pivot tables in Excel and know how to use tools like Google Refine. The ability to code and do database queries would be an added bonus, but is not a pre-requisite.

So that’s why free programs are awesome – here’s a list of 10 you can download right away.

Got Data?
Let us map it for you.
IssueMap joins your data to boundaries so that you can easily create thematic maps and share them online.

So how can our big-city newspapers reinvent themselves and remain relevant in a rapidly maturing digital context? (One thing is certain: it won't be by trying to run their own local TV stations!)

One possible answer lies in data – the more of it, the better.

This is not an argument for more "data-driven journalism" (although that would be no bad thing). This is an argument for a new role – and, potentially, new business models – for big-city newspapers.