In this half-day workshop by Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), you'll get hands-on experience working with data to help you beat the competition in any market. You’ll come away with plenty of quick-hit story ideas and also learn about publicly available databases that you can download and analyze on deadline. We'll show you easy ways to dig a little deeper and ask the right questions, so that you can stand out from your competitors even in breaking news coverage.

We'll walk through a number of searchable databases currently available online and show you how you can download information into a spreadsheet so you can start analyzing data as soon as you leave the workshop. This workshop will focus on skills that are especially useful for broadcast journalists working with tight deadlines, but we welcome journalists and students of all backgrounds who will find this workshop useful.

No previous data experience is required for this workshop. Pre-registration is required and seating is limited. Lunch will not be provided. Attendees are required to bring a laptop that has Microsoft Excel installed, and their laptop chargers. Workshop led by IRE Senior Training Director Jaimi Dowdell.

This workshop is co-sponsored by the TEGNA Foundation.

12:30-12:45 p.m. Welcome and overview

12:45-1:30 p.m. Developing a data state of mind

Whether you're on deadline or working on a long-term investigation, data can help. We'll look at examples and talk about knowing what data government agencies keep. You'll learn ways to incorporate data into your work to set you apart from the pack. You'll leave this session with plenty of quick-hit story ideas to get you going right away.

1:30-2:30 p.m. Finding, vetting and using data for your story

Now that you're thinking data, let's look for it. There are plenty of clues on the Web that data exist, even though so much information is buried deep beyond search engine eyes. This session will highlight advanced searches and strategies for finding data that can't be found with a traditional search engine. We'll also point you to some data readily available in searchable form. All you need is a browser and some curiosity.

2:30-4:30 p.m. Getting started with Excel

You've got data. Now what? We'll build on the previous sessions and show you how to make sense of your data on deadline. No previous experience with Excel is required, as we'll start with the basics and work our way up from there. We'll cover how to use data to drive your story, and how to interview based on your data. Topics covered in this session will include: sorting, formulas, percent change and more.

Interested in attending all of #AAJA16? Find out more information about other events at convention on our website and register today.