Reporting Community Data

Your website is not only a tool allowing you to communicate with your readers, it's also a good way to allow your readers to communicate with you and with one another. If you have a background in traditional media, this two-way exchange can be a bit...

Some years ago, the Myrtle Beach Sun News was looking for a way to tap what was on the minds of residents in that fast-growing resort community but couldn't afford a formal community survey. The Internet, with its survey tools and polling software,...

There are many kinds of community data available. Much of it exists in electronic format. With a little work, you can turn these into interesting interactive tools and news exercises for your readers. Let's pick an easy searchable database, such as...

If you've worked with computers for any length of time, you know how easy it is to collect data, and yet how hard it can be to make the best use of that data. In this section, we're going to suggest some ways you can help your audience understand the...