“Using Census Data in Your Stories” by Brandon Quester and Evan Wyloge
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The document provides an overview of the U.S. census, including its historical background, purpose, and the various data types it collects, such as population demographics and economic indicators. It also highlights the use of census data in media reporting, trade analysis, and community risk assessments, as well as tools for accessing and analyzing this data. Additionally, it details various applications of census data, including election result analysis and demographic studies.
“Using Census Data in Your Stories” by Brandon Quester and Evan Wyloge
- 1. Using Census data in your reporting Brandon Quester (@bquester) and Evan Wyloge (@EvanWyloge) Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting (@ArizCIR)
- 2. What is the Census?
- 3. What is the Census, really? • A count of the population • Done every 10 years • Written into the U.S. Constitution • First intended to facilitate proportional representation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
- 4. More Census details • First done in 1790 (counted 3.9 million people) • 22 times since • More detailed and nuanced each time • Used for one-person-one- vote conformity since 1965 Census taker and farmer, 1940 Courtesy United States Census Bureau
- 5. What does it look like? Examples: ● 2000 “long form” questionnaire ● 2000 “short form” questionnaire ● 2010 questionnaire 1910 Census Courtesy United States Census Bureau
- 6. American Community Survey Example: 2016 American Community Survey questionnaire
- 7. What’s in there now? Check it out Data on… population (count, race/ethnicity, veteran/military...), business, the economy, education, employment, families, housing, income, health, wealth, trades
- 8. Census geography Numerous layers of geographic areas that fit together to form larger geographic areas.
- 9. Geography example Example: blocks combine into a block group. block groups into a tract.
- 10. USA Trade Online On Oct. 15, 2015, access to USA Trade Online was made free to all customers. https://usatrade.censu s.gov/ Sign up
- 11. Uses Accurate trade data for commercial, economic and political purposes. And, of course, reporting. Focus is on the physical movement of goods Trade data DOES NOT include trade between the U.S. and U.S. possessions or in-transit shipments. Published monthly Includes: Quantity, value, commodity, trading partner country, district/port, state, method of transportation, special trade programs, dutiable value and calculated duties
- 12. State Trade Data State trade by commodity and country Imports and exports Top 25 commodities for each state, classified by Schedule B code Top 25 trading partner countries for each state Annual data: 2010-2014 US trade in goods by state, by NAICS-based product Origin of movement exports, zip code-based Origin of movement exports, origin state-based
- 13. The interface Sort by: Ascending Descending Rank by: Ascending Descending
- 15. Download Download as: XML spreadsheet for Excel (.XML) Comma delimited ASCII (.CSV) Semi-colon delimited AZCII (.CSV)
- 16. Ways we’ve used it Plotting the “people” impact of hazardous materials storage facilities
- 17. Risk Management Plans: How we did the series More than 2.8 million Arizona residents - or 44 percent of the state's population - live within areas that are most vulnerable to a catastrophic accidental release of gaseous, and sometimes explosive hazardous chemicals. The facilities: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1n9Ox6OhX4j31EypHyQSItcm405SjNEBF1xQ JoT07aXU/edit#gid=3 The RMP sections: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JqMqNHG87f5lF7spKd2Om6ZFkWGu6F29J EEkYkj4TlY/edit#gid=0
- 18. The analysis From the census bureau, 2010 census, population data. - pushed into arcmap - used statistics operation of SUM population (6,392,017) for total pop in 2010 - SECTION 2: o In arcmap, buffer zone total blast radii of section 2(CURRENT ONLY) ▪ TOTAL POP w/in: 2,833,168 ▪ TOTAL STATE POP: 6,392,017 ▪ That’s ~44 percent - SECTION 4: o In arcmap, buffer zone total blast radii of section 4(CURRENT ONLY) ▪ TOTAL POP w/in: 4,918 ▪ TOTAL STATE POP: 6,392,017 - This analysis was done using track-level 2010 census data
- 19. Ways we’ve used it Election result analysis
- 20. Ways we’ve used it School demographic analysis
- 21. Sign up for media releases Find out what’s new and/or coming up with the online calendar Search by topic Get the census bureau’s updates emailed to you! Get embargoed census releases
- 22. Navigating data at census.gov Data & Tools from Census Bureau: ● American FactFinder ● QuickFacts ● Census Explorer ● Easy Stats
- 23. CensusReporter.org Quick place profiles Easy to find and versatile download options Easy embeds
- 24. Advanced Tricks Geospatial joins to find correlation and run linear regression against any census metric
- 25. Advanced Tricks Combine datasets to find change over time
- 26. Take-home projects • Change in Poverty, 2009 - 2013, city by city • Change in income inequality, 2010 - 2013, tract-level analysis • Gentrification, racial and home value changes, tract-level analysis
Editor's Notes
- #4: One of the most progressive aspects of the U.S. political experiment. Using population was hotly contested by the framers of The Constitution. Originally, it counted every free person as one, every slave as ⅗ and excluded non-taxed Native Americans.
- #7: When speaking broadly, referring to census data often means both the decennial census and ACS data. It can be important to distinguish between the two sometimes. Example: in a story, probably say census data, when referring to either. Haven’t really come across a reason to explain in a story the difference. Talking with experts, it may be much more important to distinguish.
- #9: Lots of different geographies used. Most people will be unfamiliar with most of them. Most of them are not useful for most people. Take a look at censusreporter for examples of the geographies.
- #10: Lots of different geographies used. Most people will be unfamiliar with most of them. Most of them are not useful for most people. Take a look at censusreporter for examples of the geographies. Picture shows blocks combining to form tracts, but block groups exist between the two. Mention what a “place” is.