Mapping New Jersey housing data: A hands-on workshop for local journalists

Mapping New Jersey housing data: A hands-on workshop for local journalists

Join us on 7/31 to learn how to effectively visualize and communicate housing information to your local news audience.

By Center for Cooperative Media

Date and time

Location

Online

About this event

  • Event lasts 1 hour

Housing stories are everywhere in local news, but knowing which questions to ask and how to present data findings can transform your coverage from basic to compelling.

This introductory workshop will help local journalists understand what housing questions can be answered using census data and learn effective ways to visualize and communicate housing information to their audiences. Led by data scientist Stella Mach, participants will explore practical approaches to housing data storytelling without getting lost in technical complexity.

Co-produced by the Center for Cooperative Media and Branch Four, this workshop will provide local reporters and editors with a foundation for incorporating housing data perspectives into their coverage.

Our expert instructor will help attendees:

  • Identify compelling housing questions relevant to local communities
  • Understand what census housing data can and cannot tell us
  • Learn effective visualization techniques for non-technical audiences
  • Develop strategies for communicating data findings in accessible ways

This workshop is designed for working journalists, editors, and freelancers covering local news in New Jersey and beyond. No data analysis experience is required—just curiosity about using housing information to strengthen your reporting.

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  • 📅 Date: Thursday, July 31, 2025
  • 🕒 Time: 3:00-4:00 PM ET
  • 📍 Location: Virtual workshop via Zoom
  • 🎯 Capacity: Limited to 75 participants

Registration confirmation will include technical requirements and access instructions.

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About our instructor

Stella Mach is a Senior Data Scientist with more than 10 years of experience who founded Branch Four, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting local journalism through data and analytics. She brings specialized knowledge of census data from her work on the 2020 Census Communications Campaign and helps news outlets create custom solutions for data journalism and investigative reporting support.

About Branch Four

At Branch Four, our mission is to harness the power of data and analytics to support local journalism. We promote fact-based, high-quality local news, empowering people to become better informed about their communities and consume less misinformation.

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Organized by

Center for Cooperative Media

The mission of the Center for Cooperative Media is to grow and strengthen local journalism and support an informed society in New Jersey and beyond.

The Center is a primarily grant-funded program of the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University. The Center is supported with funding from Montclair State University, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Democracy Fund, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, NJ Civic Information Consortium, Independence Public Media Foundation, Rita Allen Foundation and Inasmuch Foundation. For more information, visit CenterforCooperativeMedia.org.

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Free