Comments on: Computer-assisted reporting jobs for everyone!

By: Martin Stabe » links for 2007-07-29

Martin Stabe » links for 2007-07-29 — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 12:26:02 +0000

[...] William M. Hartnett: Computer-assisted reporting jobs for everyone! “It seems like there is an uncommonly high number of computer-assisted job openings at newspapers these days. (And by “uncommonly high” I mean “more than one.” It is a relatively small field, after all.)” (tags: car journalism usa) [...]

By: William M. Hartnett

William M. Hartnett — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 13:22:19 +0000

I knew it! I’m on to you Tribune imagineers up there in Orlando.

By: Danny Sanchez

Danny Sanchez — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 12:51:49 +0000

Damn you, Hartnett, for outing my Lilo and Stitch underwear collection! Curses!!!

By: Matthew Wensing

Matthew Wensing — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 02:20:53 +0000

Doh!

By: William M. Hartnett

William M. Hartnett — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 14:59:22 +0000

No way dude, you’re way overqualified.

By: Matthew Wensing

Matthew Wensing — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:10:35 +0000

Maybe I’ll be able to snag one of these!

By: William M. Hartnett

William M. Hartnett — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 16:43:01 +0000

A very good point. And now those bedrock spreadsheet and even database skills have trickled down to everyday beat reporters. Three or four years ago I was doing basic stuff like that for reporters all the time. Now, I expect them to know how to do it on their own.

We have a guy here who needed to scrape a load of data, so he just dove into Perl on his own, with no programming background. Does his own GIS work, too.

By: Matt Waite

Matt Waite — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 14:49:01 +0000

Note that all but one specifically mention web development or the tools of web development as either a requirement or a desired skills. Sniff sniff. Smell the change in the air? When I started doing CAR, you could make an editor drool with Excel. Now? Bedrock skill. It’s assumed. It’s not enough to be a SQL whiz or a cross tab ninja anymore kids.