The amount of information that can be found through one outlet is incredible. I have already had experience searching through property taxes purely out of curiosity; a trait passed on from my mom.
It was actually my mom who introduced me to the Hernando County Property Appraisers website. I was curious about a historic house in the Spring Lake area of Hernando County that had been uninhabited for years that I had fallen into renovation love. I found out the house had been built in the early 1900’s. It was a two story, two bedroom, two bath house with a fireplace in the living room. The current owners came into possession of it when a trust was transferred into their names. The cost of the transfer was only $1000 which was thoroughly shocking. The owners however never lived there. In fact, they currently live in Georgia (GA address can be found on the website.) The house is in considerable dilapidation but still holds its historic charter.
I then proceeded to look at the worth of my moms house, my fiancés parents house, my sister’s house, my fiancés brother’s house, and anyone else I could remember full names and general location of their home. It was sickeningly compulsive. My curiosity had gotten the best of me. Consequently, all those numbers were pointless.
Even though I am familiar with the Hernando County Property Appraisers website, I never thought to look more deeply into the owner’s of the historic house. Mainly for the fact, the only time in the last 20 years the house had changed hands was when the trust transferred.
In a sense, having the ability to see if the person owning a house is delinquent on taxes, when they bought the house, names on the deed etc seems very voyeuristic. While that information can be pertinent for people running for public office, who cares if John Doe down the street owns a $250,000 house that was originally worth $500,000.
It was funny to see the look on the class’ faces when Trigg began to divulge all the information that can be found on the site. There were looks of shock, puzzlement and even a few dropped jaws. The information is out there. All it takes is an inquisitive mind.
As a journalism major I understand the importance of public records, but sometimes wonder if there is too much personal information out there. My line of thought is going towards identity fraud. I am fully aware how controversial my public records comment was too.
People are allowed to know what is going on in the world surrounding them especially if it affects their safety, and I am a full supporter of the Sunshine Laws. If I wasn’t a full supporter I would be graduating with the wrong degree in December. My question from Trigg’s presentation is when is the amount of information on the internet too much?
Maybe I’m just getting soft, but it seems like sometimes personal identities are not valued enough.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Innovative Information Outlets
When you think of police work the typical things of flashing lights, arrests, court dates, and bail generally come to mind. Unless you are a member of the media you don’t think of the criminal report affidavit, booking sheet or general offense hardcopy. All of which are important documents in order to write a story about the happenings of Hillsborough County.
While a reporter drowns in papers from the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office and Courthouse there are other ways that social media allows for citizens to get the news “from the source” easily. This is where J.D. Callaway and Cristal Bermudez Nunez come into play.
Callaway and Nunez are a part of the HCSO Community Affairs Office. They answer the media inquiries from broadcasting, radio, print etc. They handle press releases which must meet three general standards. Is this information in public interest? Is there media interest? Will this helps us get leads?
Social media has allowed Callaway and Nunez to broaden the horizons of HCSO community affairs. Internet sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have helped to revolutionize HCSO’s communication.
On Facebook, the “fugitive of the week” allows citizens to see who they need to be on the lookout for. Twitter allows immediate posting of important information, and YouTube broadcasts “pseudo-newscasts.” The pseudo-newscasts are of surveillance videos or press conferences in their entirety. These outlets allow citizens to be more informed and have transformed HCSO into a newsmaker and producer. Or as Callaway so aptly put it, “We don’t generate news. We release facts.”
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube may not be the conventional ways of emitting information, but they are the tools that allow places like the HCSO to reach the masses easily. Press releases are the traditional way, but with technology traditions change. The HCSO Community Affairs Office is working with today’s technology to help create a safer tomorrow.
While a reporter drowns in papers from the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office and Courthouse there are other ways that social media allows for citizens to get the news “from the source” easily. This is where J.D. Callaway and Cristal Bermudez Nunez come into play.
Callaway and Nunez are a part of the HCSO Community Affairs Office. They answer the media inquiries from broadcasting, radio, print etc. They handle press releases which must meet three general standards. Is this information in public interest? Is there media interest? Will this helps us get leads?
Social media has allowed Callaway and Nunez to broaden the horizons of HCSO community affairs. Internet sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have helped to revolutionize HCSO’s communication.
On Facebook, the “fugitive of the week” allows citizens to see who they need to be on the lookout for. Twitter allows immediate posting of important information, and YouTube broadcasts “pseudo-newscasts.” The pseudo-newscasts are of surveillance videos or press conferences in their entirety. These outlets allow citizens to be more informed and have transformed HCSO into a newsmaker and producer. Or as Callaway so aptly put it, “We don’t generate news. We release facts.”
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube may not be the conventional ways of emitting information, but they are the tools that allow places like the HCSO to reach the masses easily. Press releases are the traditional way, but with technology traditions change. The HCSO Community Affairs Office is working with today’s technology to help create a safer tomorrow.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Did he say math??
Hearing from your professor that a guest speaker is coming to talk about how charts, figures and of all things math help to create a story doesn’t exactly scream interesting. It really doesn’t help that half the allure of being a journalism major is the lack of math. But after hearing Matt Doig from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune speak; math in its relation to journalism actually doesn’t seem that bad. In fact, it almost sounds like fun.
The use of public records has the ability to transform and even create a story. It is “irrefutable evidence.” The information gathered from public records has the ability to bring to light evidence that many people would like to keep buried in a dusty file in Tallahassee. Doig gave thorough evidence of persistence and the power of public records.
Teacher Certification Scores are not something every parent thinks about when they send their child off to school. It wasn’t until high school that I found out that teachers are regularly tested so they can teach. This information was provided when I overheard my English teacher complaining because she had to take the math portion of the test for the fifth time. Thankfully she passed the English portion of the test with flying colors.
Doig’s investigation into teacher’s scores was very elaborate, but was made easier by a computer program that allowed a classification system. Doig was able to categorize teachers throughout the state by name, race, district, school, social security number, and test scores. There were also indicators about the school grade, how many students were in gifted etc.
It was sad in a sense to see that a teacher could fail a test 65 times and still be allowed to teach. The teachers who failed more were put in poorer schools. How does that set children up to succeed if their teachers aren’t capable enough to pass a test?
The use of math helped greatly with the teacher’s scores but what about a database of 19 million. Add in some parameters of 30 days with a 30 percent increase, a computer to handle the load and you have “Flip that house fraud.”
The philosophy of “If it’s happening in one place; it’s probably happening in more places” led to a substantial wealth of information regarding housing fraud. In fact, it led to 55,000 incidents of house fraud, billions of dollars, and the realization that Florida is now considered the #1 state for housing fraud.
The process of compiling the information and relaying it to the masses took a year. The knowledge gained though was very pertinent to understanding locally why the housing market turned out the way it did.
My hostility towards math has been slightly diminished after Doig’s compelling stories of how math and a computer program can help to create a beneficial story for the readers. Public records provide the information needed to begin the story and sometimes math helps to finish it.
The use of public records has the ability to transform and even create a story. It is “irrefutable evidence.” The information gathered from public records has the ability to bring to light evidence that many people would like to keep buried in a dusty file in Tallahassee. Doig gave thorough evidence of persistence and the power of public records.
Teacher Certification Scores are not something every parent thinks about when they send their child off to school. It wasn’t until high school that I found out that teachers are regularly tested so they can teach. This information was provided when I overheard my English teacher complaining because she had to take the math portion of the test for the fifth time. Thankfully she passed the English portion of the test with flying colors.
Doig’s investigation into teacher’s scores was very elaborate, but was made easier by a computer program that allowed a classification system. Doig was able to categorize teachers throughout the state by name, race, district, school, social security number, and test scores. There were also indicators about the school grade, how many students were in gifted etc.
It was sad in a sense to see that a teacher could fail a test 65 times and still be allowed to teach. The teachers who failed more were put in poorer schools. How does that set children up to succeed if their teachers aren’t capable enough to pass a test?
The use of math helped greatly with the teacher’s scores but what about a database of 19 million. Add in some parameters of 30 days with a 30 percent increase, a computer to handle the load and you have “Flip that house fraud.”
The philosophy of “If it’s happening in one place; it’s probably happening in more places” led to a substantial wealth of information regarding housing fraud. In fact, it led to 55,000 incidents of house fraud, billions of dollars, and the realization that Florida is now considered the #1 state for housing fraud.
The process of compiling the information and relaying it to the masses took a year. The knowledge gained though was very pertinent to understanding locally why the housing market turned out the way it did.
My hostility towards math has been slightly diminished after Doig’s compelling stories of how math and a computer program can help to create a beneficial story for the readers. Public records provide the information needed to begin the story and sometimes math helps to finish it.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Tim Nickens
I have learned a lot over the last few semesters about journalism, and as my time at USF comes to a close, I am learning even more information relevant to my future. Tim Nickens, editor for the St. Petersburg Times editorial pages, helped to solidify the importance of using public records as a source for a news story.
Nickens coming speaking to the class could not have come at a better time. The Wednesday following his visit I learned the fundamentals of my internship with Creative Loafing. I will be writing for the news and politics section. What better use for public records than in news and politics?
A statement that was particularly true for me may seem insignificant compared to the stories Nickens told of public records bringing about valuable information about politicians. “It is one thing to have a record. It is another thing to know what it means,” said Nickens. In news and politics, knowing what you have in front of you is extremely important so that you can quickly and reliably report a story. Knowing what you’re talking about has the ability to give you credibility.
Sometimes I feel like I let myself become victim of not asking enough questions, but Nickens was able to thoroughly reach me to help me to better understand the importance of asking questions. The questions can be about the documents in front of you or the actions taken in order to get a piece of legislature passed.
Along with questions, good sources are invaluable. A good source can lead you to the documents needed to complete the story. Reporters learn to think in terms of “not why is something open, but why is something closed?”
I was able to take from Nickens visit the different avenues in which to pursue a story. Documents from the property appraiser, courthouse, money appropriation committees, arrest records etc are all tools that can help complete a story.
When I found out the type of writing I would be doing for Creative Loafing, I was glad I had the knowledge from Nickens visit in order to be able to dig a little deeper into stories. I have to know where to look and what I am looking at.
Nickens coming speaking to the class could not have come at a better time. The Wednesday following his visit I learned the fundamentals of my internship with Creative Loafing. I will be writing for the news and politics section. What better use for public records than in news and politics?
A statement that was particularly true for me may seem insignificant compared to the stories Nickens told of public records bringing about valuable information about politicians. “It is one thing to have a record. It is another thing to know what it means,” said Nickens. In news and politics, knowing what you have in front of you is extremely important so that you can quickly and reliably report a story. Knowing what you’re talking about has the ability to give you credibility.
Sometimes I feel like I let myself become victim of not asking enough questions, but Nickens was able to thoroughly reach me to help me to better understand the importance of asking questions. The questions can be about the documents in front of you or the actions taken in order to get a piece of legislature passed.
Along with questions, good sources are invaluable. A good source can lead you to the documents needed to complete the story. Reporters learn to think in terms of “not why is something open, but why is something closed?”
I was able to take from Nickens visit the different avenues in which to pursue a story. Documents from the property appraiser, courthouse, money appropriation committees, arrest records etc are all tools that can help complete a story.
When I found out the type of writing I would be doing for Creative Loafing, I was glad I had the knowledge from Nickens visit in order to be able to dig a little deeper into stories. I have to know where to look and what I am looking at.
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