Basic Themes
- Avoid stereotypes
- Know your limitations and your data
- Take a risk, change perspectives — but do it with a backup plan
- Chip away
What is Herointown?
Finding Herointown*
*Trained professional. Do not attempt.
How do we bring these stories to light?
We ask.
Data Sources
SAMHSA - Federal Treatment data
http://www.samhsa.gov/data/
Rx Drug Data - Medicare Part D
https://projects.propublica.org/checkup/
CDC - Vital Statistics on overdoses
http://bit.ly/CDC_OD
Know Your Data
Find the data nerds and use them liberally
Filling the Town
Know your data's limitations
Be honest with your readers about what you can and can't show
Data was the Vehicle
People were the Fuel
The Stories
The Dead
Crowdsourcing Art
Multiple Gateways
Broken up into clickable, shareable posts
Write/Code for your Readers
Not for policymakers, other journos
Questions???