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Oplinger developed his computer assisted reporting skills
in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.
“I have always covered beats that deal with numbers.
With simple computer spreadsheets, I was able to see amazing
trends in the local economy."
Oplinger said computer assisted reporting helped him improve
as a reporter. “My reporting became so much better because
I was bringing new information to people who were supposed
to know stuff. CAR put me on a different level.”
Where was $$$ going?
In 1999, Oplinger and Willard completed “Whose Choice?”
Ohiocitizen.org reports, the two Akron Beacon Journal reporters
investigated Ohio’s sharp increase in aid to private
schools and sudden expansion of vouchers and charter schools
while the public school system was known to be one of the
most poorly funded in the country.
“I am the most proud of the “Whose Choice?”
series,” he said.
Oplinger said he and Willard were able to analyze some of
the data from “Whose Choice?” when they created
a timeline with records information, letters, and e-mails.
“When I sorted the information by date, we began to
see amazing things just by looking at the daily progression
of events. By seeing the sequence of events, you could see
where Voinovich’s interests were.”
Oplinger said CAR skills are necessary in reporting.
“CAR skills are necessary to do your reporting job.
You can’t be afraid of math and technology. It helps
you visualize how a project can be done and make it go more
smoothly.”
More multimedia skills needed
He also mentioned multimedia skills are very crucial because
print articles are now on-line.
“The Internet gives you unlimited opportunities. You
can go wild with possibilities. The reader who reads the story
can now see and hear the individual in the story.”
Oplinger said he is very interested in technology. He feels
journalists can do some pretty amazing things with on-line
journalism because reporters can include sound bites and video
clips in with their work.
“Last fall, I covered a press conference and set up
a video camera with a tri-pod. I got video of the speaker
and the crowd during the conference.”
Oplinger has used his computer assisted reporting skills
to win two Pulitzer Prizes during his career, in 1987 and
1994.
“People make CAR out to be more difficult than it
really should be. Everyone should be incorporating CAR into
their daily reporting,” he said.
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•
Danielle Cervantes, San Diego Union-Tribune
• Dave
Davis, Cleveland Plain Dealer
• Dan
Keating, Washington Post
• Tom
Merriman, Fox 8 Cleveland
• Doug
Oplinger, Akron Beacon Journal
• Craig
Pittman and Matthew Waite, St. Petersburg Times
• Mark
Schaver, Louisville Courier-Journal
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