Journalists DO need to know computer programming
By William M. Hartnett on Jun 6, 2007 in featured, geekery, newspapers
David Cohn asked Where’s the Money to Teach Journalists How to Code? (Nowhere. Do it yourself. Sleep is overrated. Hell, first-year residents sleep, what, 15 minutes a month? And they’re constantly performing dramatic surgeries and conducting steamy affairs in supply closets.) Dan Gillmor replied that Journalists Don’t Need to Know Computer Programming: “Why? Makes more sense to me that journalists should work with programmers.”
I disagree.
First, let’s clear up what we mean by “computer programming.” There’s building a web framework, and then there’s knowing enough of your language of choice to clean up dirty personnel records from the school district or parse some messy addresses in crime data from the sheriff’s office. These are hardly big time, capital-p Programming problems, but they are journalistic tasks, and they do require some programming competence. Journalists need to know programming. Not all of us, but some.
Do these tasks absolutely have to be performed by journalists? No, of course not. But are you seriously going to hit up your professional, full-time programmer, who knows everything from Fortran to Python (and is even bang up to date with LOLCODE) and ask them to tap out some first-chapter-of-the-O’Reilly-book code for you? That big-brained geek is busy whipping up revolutionary, potentially industry-saving features and products. Leave the nerd alone! Sort out your own problems.
GUIs are a beautiful thing. We use all sorts of powerful software in newsrooms these days to point and click our way through increasingly complex data-based journalism. But if you spend any time at all doing this stuff, you’ll hit The Wall. That’s when you need to turn to Better Tools.
Can’t get good street data from your local GIS agency with which to create an address locater? This almost certainly is not the scenario for which you hired a professional programmer. Dip your toes in Python and have a crack at geopy.
Spend just one day on the NICAR-L mailing list and you’ll realize pretty fast that journalists can benefit in numerous ways from knowing some programming basics. And once you experience the power of even those basic skills, you might just get hooked. Soon people are calling you Coder McHacker, and you’re starting to pass for a proper programmer. Whoops, looks like we just created a whole class of good-enough programmers right here in our own newsrooms. This is happening already, and we need to encourage it.
Journalists need to know programming.
David Cohn | Jun 7, 2007 | Reply
I completetly agree with you re: Journalists do need to learn how to code: if it’s not hard, I want to do it myself — that’s exactly why I want to learn.
As for sleep — I’m close to that first year resident status already — juggling two classes and roughly four jobs. Somehow I’ll try to find time — but deadlines are always looming and I keep telling myself — I’ll start next week. Until the next week’s workload chugs along. Alas, you can guess how this cycle goes.
Still. I’m determined. I’ll be graduating soon (3 months). I hope then I’ll be able to keep the same schedule, no sleep — but maybe I’ll find time to learn how to code.
William M. Hartnett | Jun 7, 2007 | Reply
You certainly seem dedicated to the not sleeping part, what with the leaving comments at 2 a.m. and all! And I should add this: Good on you for having the desire to tackle this stuff.
Others have already left lots of good advice on your blog, so I don’t have much to add. Well, maybe one thing. Above all else, you’ll definitely want to find the time to perform dramatic surgeries and have it away with fellow residents in the supply closet.
David Cohn | Jun 7, 2007 | Reply
Scrubs IS my favorite show.
Ryan Sholin | Jun 8, 2007 | Reply
Damn it all to hell, I really like to sleep. I’ll have to give that up, I suppose.
William M. Hartnett | Jun 8, 2007 | Reply
Surely you’ve already given up on sleep. Might as well have a crack at Python while you’re at it. Then again, though Python is unlikely to poop its pants, I think all but a handful of very odd people, some of whom I know, would agree that seeing after your newborn will be a far more rewarding experience.
Ryan Sholin | Jun 8, 2007 | Reply
All accurate points on your part. But I’m quite the multitasker. She’s around my neck right now — slings are amazing. For my next trick, I’ll make the coffee…
Pat Thornton | Dec 17, 2007 | Reply
It’s amazing how many newsrooms and journalists don’t understand the power of data. I sense very little interest in most parts of my newsroom, but I am learning MySQL right now, whether or not I ever use it at work.
And if I don’t, I’ll find someone else who wants my skills. A lot of people feel like programming isn’t for journalists, and I hear this from time to time. But I’m going ahead and learning new stuff all the time.
I’ve been doing Web design for many years, but it is time for me to transition to more of a Web development role. I’m thinking of signing up for a few comp sci classes this upcoming year to get some more structured experience and a better understanding of the theories behind comp sci.
Newspapers need journalists will varied skill sets. We all can’t just be writers and copy editors anymore.
William M. Hartnett | Dec 17, 2007 | Reply
It really comes down to continuous, individual self-improvement, doesn’t it? If you’re a basket weaver, surely you’d want to learn how to weave better baskets. Shouldn’t be different in journalism or any other profession.
(I can’t stop relating everything to basket weaving today. I blame the basket-weaving plot of last night’s King of the Hill.)
Learning to work with data as a journalist is a pretty good investment in yourself. Not one that everyone could or should be expected to make, but a good one nonetheless for the right sort of person.
Pat Thornton | Dec 20, 2007 | Reply
All journalists should be willing to continue their education in some manner over time, whether it be books, classes, seminars, etc. Lawyers continuously get new training and have to stay up-to-date. That’s the same for many professions.
So, why not journalists? But you can’t force improvement on anyone. People have to want to do it on their own. Otherwise they won’t retain anything or be very good at what they “learned.”