I doubt Yglesias knows how and how much AI is already being used in the average newsroom.
He did an experiment on using it in local journalism! Even though he's not working in a local newsroom!
I'm not paying to see this. I heard from real journalists on AI at #NICAR26 and there's LOTs going on.
“If you like podcasts and computer-assisted investigative journalism you might enjoy this podcast feed of audio recordings from the 2024, 2025, and 2026 NICAR conferences.” - @backspace.com
github.com/bcks/nicar
#NICAR26 #DDJ
Some folks at #NICAR26 asked about my 9-1-1 hold times investigation, so I put together a tipsheet that lets you replicate this investigation anywhere in the country. This is a national issue, so I encourage everyone to look at how your local agencies are performing! github.com/stephanielam...
👩🏾💻 Diversas novas ferramentas de reportagem foram lançadas na #NICAR26 e a GIJN estava lá!
Nesse artigo, oferecemos um resumo desses recursos — que podem auxiliar investigações com geolocalização, financiamento ilícito, dados de deportação e mais.
NEWSLETTER: Data journalism tools from #NICAR26. Read and subscribe for free (or donate).
open.substack.com/pub/journali...
Several new reporting tools dropped at #NICAR26 & GIJN was there to find out more 🔎
In our latest story, we offer a round-up of these resources—that can assist investigations with geolocation, collaboration, illicit finance, deportation data, and tracking bad actors online.
https://twp.ai/E6HtUm
It was different attending the #NICAR26 data journalism conference this year now that I'm retired! And kind of strange not returning home to a newsroom.
My latest #NextChapter post:
nextchapter.machlis.com/posts/2026-0...
#Retirement
Now both the front end and back end for @ire.org 's semantic-searchable archives -- unveiled at #NICAR26 -- have been open sourced 🎉🎉
Front end (SvelteKit): github.com/ireapps/ire-...
Smith College is hiring for a 3-year lecturer position in data journalism. apply.interfolio.com/182785 I can attest to Smith being a great place to work. Folks at #NICAR26 should check out the posting.
This month's newsletter was inspired by our trip to @ire.org's #NICAR26 conference that took place last week in Indianapolis.
Big thanks to everyone who came to my #NICAR26 session for libfec last week, it was a lot of fun! NICAR is the only place where you can chat about federal campaign finance data and actually enjoy it...
It wasn't recorded, but I made a video version of it here!
youtu.be/UdkQ5HEiF20
We have added more than 40 new resources to the Journalist's Toolbox this weekend, including many to the public documents and data tools pages from the #nicar26 conference:
Jeff Hargarten of the Minnesota Star Tribune is putting on a clinic on ICE data and deportation data at #nicar26. His Github page:
A group of people posing together and smiling at a conference. They stand and kneel in front of a backdrop displaying "NICAR 26," "Indianapolis," "data," and "journalism" repeatedly. Some are wearing name badges.
A person stands at a podium on a stage, giving a presentation. A screen displays a slide with text that reads: "My obsession with data made my career. It almost killed me." The names "Steven Rich" visible on the slide. The room has conference-style décor.
A group of three people stands posing for a photo at the NICAR 26 event. They are holding signs that say "I <heart> Python," "NICAR Nerds," and "Data Wiz." A person is taking their photo with a smartphone. In the background, there is a NICAR 26 sign and a wall with words like "data journalism" and "NICAR 26."
Three people holding an award together.
#NICAR26 is a wrap and what a conference it was.
900+ attendees | 325+ speakers | 225 sessions
Shoutout to every data journalist and investigative reporter who showed up, shared knowledge and made Indianapolis feel like home for a few days.
What did you learn? What stood out?
Nerding out on new ideas after #NICAR26 in Indianapolis. Also: did you know the city has a whole network of indoor skywalks? You can travel blocks without stepping outside.
Interesting #nicar26 session: "Fact-Checking AI-Assisted Reporting in the Newsroom". A lot of talk about disclosures both internally and externally. We post disclosures on stories and AI policy on our principles page on
Hey #NICAR26 attendees! Especially @newsguild.org members! Did you know that by buying coffee at the hotel Starbucks, the only coffee shop anywhere nearby during a massive rain storm, you crossed a picket line?
Atone by donating however much you spent to the @sbworkersunited.org strike fund!
Editor Anna Massoglia joining our @westvirginiau.bsky.social collaborators for their #NICAR26 presentation on tracking opioid settlement funds.
Learn more about this project: www.muckrock.com/news/archive...
I couldn’t get a flight without a stupid time or layover until today so, in case you were wondering what’s here after #NICAR26, it’s the exact opposite conference: Work Truck Week.
A whiteboard full of data journalism job postings standing on an easel in a hotel hallway.
One of the encouraging things about #NICAR26 was seeing this very full job board of news organizations (including McClatchy) looking to hire talented data-driven journalists.
📚 I'm happy to release free, online textbooks covering the two courses I taught at the hashtag#NICAR26 data journalism conference put on by Investigative Reporters and Editors last week in Indianapolis.
The 2nd Edition of "Data + Journalism: A Story-Driven Approach to Data Reporting" will be out in August. New exercises, AI tools, training videos and many other goodies. You can pre-order this summer on www.routledge.com
#nicar26
For an actual R- and Python-specific coding agent, Positron Assistant has an Agent mode. You can choose from a couple of different model providers, but alas it's all pay-per-use API -- you can't use a $20 Claude or ChatGPT subscription.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZW2...
FYI #NICAR26
An in-progress knit sock with a colorwork broccoli pattern
What a whirlwind #nicar26 was. Sitting quietly in one place and knocking out the colorwork portion of this sock was a deeply satisfying way to pass the time on the flight(s) home.
black and grey tattoo of spider hanging from a web amidst other tattoos
black and grey tattoo of keyhole amidst other tattoos
many folks at #nicar26 wanted to know if i was getting a tattoo at the conference this year and the answer is no. i got two.
We've got a ton of great session pitches already, but we're hungry for more and you need the extra time ... so let's make it happen. #NICAR26 folks, rejoice.
We're extending the first priority CFP deadline to March 11. Submit the form to pitch a session or request $500 in travel support!
Thanks to all the @ire.org staff for another great #NICAR #NICAR26! Can’t wait to see folks next year in Denver!!
Hey R and Python folks at #NICAR26 looking at coding agents for data analysis: Databot from Posit (formerly RStudio) is another option. It's an assistant for the Positron IDE specifically designed for data work.
See a demo from September's Posit conference:
youtu.be/Ve7cNChzq5Q?...
#RStats #Python
