Journalism, the World and the Future
Discussion of the future of journalism from GMU
Archive for Story Idea
From my favorite government agency…
Facts and figures for all sorts of great stories.
World Statistics Day: Oct. 20
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/
The United Nations General Assembly designated Oct. 20, 2010, as the first-ever World Statistics Day to highlight the role of official statistics and the many achievements of national statistical systems.
Statistical organizations throughout the world will celebrate World Statistics Day at the national and regional level. The census, the U.S. Census Bureau and 13 other principal federal statistical agencies together have been collecting statistics about the nation’s people, economy and society since 1790.
Stats for Kids
74.5 million
The number of children under 18 in the U.S. in 2009.
Source: 2009 population estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/national/asrh/natasrh.html
84 percent
Percent of children who ate dinner with a parent five or more times per week in 2006.
Source: A Child’s Day: 2006 http://www.census.gov/prod/2009pubs/p70-118.pdf
70 percent
The percent of children under 18 who lived with both parents in 2009.
Source: America’s Families and Living Arrangements http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam.html
59 percent
The percent of children ages 6 to 11 who were highly engaged in school in 2006. The index for measuring a child’s engagement in school is based on whether a child is interested in schoolwork, whether a child works hard in school and whether the child likes school.
Source: A Child’s Day: 2006 http://www.census.gov/prod/2009pubs/p70-118.pdf
56 percent
Percent of children who are subject to family television rules, such as limiting what programs they may watch, what times they may watch and how many hours they may watch television.
Source: A Child’s Day: 2006 http://www.census.gov/prod/2009pubs/p70-118.pdf
42 percent
Percent of children ages 6 to 17 who participated in sports in 2006.
Source: A Child’s Day: 2006 http://www.census.gov/prod/2009pubs/p70-118.pdf
33 percent
Percent of children ages 6 to 17 who participated in extracurricular clubs in 2006.
Source: A Child’s Day: 2006 http://www.census.gov/prod/2009pubs/p70-118.pdf
5.3 million
Estimated number of “stay-at-home” parents in 2009 in the United States: 5.1 million mothers and 158,000 fathers.
Source: America’s Families and Living Arrangements http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam.html
Stats for Everyone
310 million*
Estimated current U.S. population. We reached 300 million in 2006, 200 million in 1967 and 100 million in 1915. When our nation achieved independence in 1776, we had a population of only 2.5 million.
*National and state population counts from 2010 Census data will be released by Dec. 31, 2010.
Source: U.S. and World Population Clocks http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html
155.6 million
The number of women in the U.S. in 2009. Overall, the U.S. had more women than men (151.4 million). In a few states, however, men outnumbered women, such as Alaska where there were 362,000 men and 336,000 women.
Source: 2009 Population Estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/states/asrh/ and http://www.census.gov/popest/national/asrh/
36.9 million
The number of U.S. residents who claimed Irish ancestry in 2009, which was eight times the population of Ireland itself (4.5 million).
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-_caller=geoselect&-state=dt&-format=&-mt_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G2000_B04006 and Ireland Central Statistics Office http://www.cso.ie/releasespublications/documents/population/current/popmig.pdf
70,490
The estimated number of centenarians (100 years old or more) in the U.S. in 2009. Projections indicate that in 2050, the number will be more than 600,000.
Source: 2009 Population Estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/national/asrh/2009-nat-res.html Projections http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/downloadablefiles.html
58 percent
The percent of female advanced degree holders among ages 25 to 29 in 2009.
Source: Current Population Survey: 2009 Educational Attainment http://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/education/
85 percent
The percent of people 25 or older who held at least a high school degree in 2009.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-qr_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S1501&-geo_id=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-format=&-CONTEXT=st
28 percent
The percent of people 25 or older who held at least a bachelor’s degree in 2009.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-qr_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S1501&-geo_id=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-format=&-CONTEXT=st
28 percent
The percent of householders who rated their homes a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 in 2009.
Source: 2009 American Housing Survey http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/ahs/ahs.html
25.1 minutes
The national mean travel time to work in 2009.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-qr_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0801&-geo_id=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-format=&-CONTEXT=st
24.3 pounds
Per capita candy consumption in 2009.
Source: Current Industrial Reports, Confectionery: 2009 http://www.census.gov/manufacturing/cir/historical_data/ma311d/index.html
Statistical Agencies
230
The U.S. Census Bureau website includes links to more than 200 international statistical agencies. Visit them by clicking the link below.
Source: http://www.census.gov/aboutus/stat_int.html
14
Number of U.S. principal statistical agencies. They are the Bureau of Economic Analysis; Bureau of Justice Statistics; Bureau of Labor Statistics; Bureau of Transportation Statistics; U.S. Census Bureau; Economic Research Service; Energy Information Administration; National Agricultural Statistics Service; National Center for Education Statistics; National Center for Health Statistics; Office of Environmental Information; Social Security Administration Office of Research Evaluation and Statistics; National Science Foundation: Science Resources Statistics; and the Internal Revenue Service’s Statistics of Income Division.
Source: Office of Management and Budget Statistical Programs of the United States Government http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/information_and_regulatory_affairs/10statprog.pdf
Statisticians
29,208
Number of statisticians employed in the United States in 2009.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-_caller=geoselect&-state=dt&-format=&-mt_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G2000_B24124
20 percent
Percent of statisticians employed by the federal government, with most of them concentrated in the Departments of Commerce, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services in 2008. Another 10 percent worked for state and local governments.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos045.htm
13 percent
Projected growth of employment of statisticians from 2008 to 2018.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos045.htm
$72,820
Median annual wage for statisticians in May 2009.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes152041.htm#nat
Special Editions of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Facts for Features are issued to provide background information for lesser-known observances, anniversaries of historic events and other timely topics in the news.
Note: Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines.
Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: pio@census.gov.
For more information about the U.S. Census Bureau, please visit http://www.census.gov/ and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr and YouTube (/uscensusbureau).
Update: I made an error in using the term “of Brazilian descent” when discussing the Census Bureau data. The number cited below are those born in Brazil. To be clear, the Census Bureau does not ask a persons residency status.
First posted at Journalism, Journalists and the World
Part 1
Here’s to Boston.Com for understanding that an important election 5,000 miles away has an important local angle.
Today (10/3) Brazilians went to the polls to elect a successor to the highly popular Lula. In Brazil about 95% of the 132 eligible voters went to the polls. (Voting is mandatory.)
And Brazilians overseas also got into the act. Local polling stations were set up in Paris and Tokyo. (I know this because Brazilian media reported it.)
And in Framingham, Mass.
Megan McKee filed a story about how the voting was going in Framingham:
Brazilians flock to the polls in Framingham for presidential election
Was it really that difficult for her to do that story?
I doubt it. All it took was paying attention to what was going on in her LOCAL area.
And suddenly she has a LOCAL story with a significant INTERNATIONAL angle. Or an international story with a local angle. (Take your pick.)
Bottom line is that Ms. McKee should be congratulated for seeing something in her area that other reporters in their areas have not seen.
Hers is the only — yes, ONLY — story I have seen so far about Brazilians voting in the United States.
Now, she did base her estimate on how many Brazilians in New England on the word of one of the Brazilian parties. She could have gone to the Census Bureau for a more unbiased account.
The 2009 American Survey shows that in Massachusetts, there are 69, 122 people born in Brazil. of Brazilian origin. Of that number. 78% are 18 or older, and therefore eligible to vote. (If they are Brazilian citizens.)
Nationwide there are 359,149 people who were born in Brazil of Brazilian descent and 75.7% are 18 or older.
BTW, statistically the number of those of Brazilian descent in Virginia is so low that the Census Bureau does not count them.
Part 2
The really sad part about this story, however, are the hateful and ignorant comments made to the article. These two are a good sampling of many of the comments made against people exercising their right to vote.
Besides being bigoted, these folks show a complete lack of understanding what is going on.
It is because of the ignorance of people like this that it is so much more important that LOCAL reporters find the GLOBAL story in LOCAL events.
truthnaturally wrote:
This should NOT be allowed. Americans (the real tru ones) have fought life and limb for the rights to vote and along comes this bunch of bubble butts and they get to vote in two….its not right, if you are here in America, whats the point of making changes in your own country (dont say family) I dont get to vote in your country! If want to change your countries politics, stop raping mine and go back.
10/3/2010 5:48 PM EDT
DisinterestedObserver wrote:
Hopefully, the Town of Framingham is making sure the Brazilian government is paying the utilities, double time rate overtime costs of the custodial staff and police details, and any other miscellaneous costs plus a hefty markup to allow a foreign election to be held at an American high school. There should be absolutely no costs associated with this election that aren’t billed to and paid for the Brazilian government. Also, is INS there to check if the Brazilian voter are legal US residents? Finally, why should American citizens be inconvenienced by a 1 mile traffic backup?
The Census Bureau has a new blog service called Random Samplings. The purpose of the blog, says the Bureau, is to make the data more accessible to everyone.
I have long argued that the Census Bureau is a gold mine of free data that can help make most stories really shine. Using the data is also a great way to find ideas for feature stories.
The problem has always been understanding the numbers in greater depth.
Think about it.
When you hear the numbers from the Census Bureau about income, earnings, housing, etc., what do they all mean? This blog seems to be a good version of Census Numbers 101.
The first entry is all about the difference between income and earnings.
Give it a try.
Seems Macy’s is once again showing that companies can help people affected by disaster and make a profit.
And it provides an opportunity for LOCAL reporters to do a story with a GLOBAL hook.
The Globe and Mail of Toronto had a story yesterday about how Macy’s will be selling the work of Haitian artists. (Haitian artisans strike deal to sell work at Macy’s)
See rest of story at: Local-Global: Macy’s helps Haitian Artists
There is no reason student journalists should not be able to go out and do this story.
- Look around campus for artists to talk to about the Macy’s project.
- Check the records to see what campus groups have provided help to the people of Haiti.
- See if those groups have done any innovative projects to help other areas affected by natural disasters or wars.
Once again one of my favorite resources has piles and piles of data about an upcoming event.
The Census Bureau recently released data related to back to school events with plenty of links to datasets and tables to back up the commentary.
Part of the importance of this data is that reporters can go to the tables mentioned to dig out information to compare local data with national or regional data.
For stories about colleges and college students look at the data below. And then compare it to your school.
Back to School: 2010-2011
By August, summertime will be winding down and vacations will be coming to an end, signaling that back-to-school time is near.
It’s a time that many children eagerly anticipate — catching up with old friends, making new ones and settling into a new daily routine. Parents and children alike scan the newspapers and websites looking for sales to shop for a multitude of school supplies and the latest clothing fads and essentials. This edition of Facts for Featureshighlights the many statistics associated with the return to classrooms by our nation’s students and teachers.
Back-to-School Shopping
$7.2 billion
The amount of money spent at family clothing stores in August 2009. Only in December were sales significantly higher. Similarly, sales at bookstores in August 2009 totaled $2.5 billion, an amount approached in 2009 only by sales in January.
Source: Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services
For back-to-school shopping, choices of retail establishments abound:
In 2007, there were 27,326 family clothing stores, 7,036 children and infants clothing stores, 27,213 shoe stores, 9,754 office supply and stationery stores, 23,756 sporting goods stores, 10,635 bookstores and 10,116 department stores.
Source: County Business Patterns: 2007
Students
76 million
The number of children and adults enrolled in school throughout the country in October 2008 — from nursery school to college. They comprised 27 percent of the entire population 3 and older.
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2008
Pre-K through 12 Enrollment
53%
Percentage of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in school in October 2008.
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2008
72%
Percentage of children 3 to 6 enrolled in kindergarten who attended all day, as of October 2008.
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2008
56 million
The projected number of students to be enrolled in the nation’s elementary through high schools (grades K-12) this fall.
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010,Table 214
11%
Projected percentage of elementary through high school students enrolled in private schools this fall.
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010,Table 214
43%
Percentage of elementary through high school students who were nonwhite (single race) or Hispanic, as of October 2008.
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2008
22%
Percentage of elementary through high school students who had at least one foreign-born parent in October 2008. Five percent were foreign-born themselves.
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2008
50%
Percentage of kindergarten through 12th-grade students in California who had at least one foreign-born parent in 2006. California led the nation, followed by Nevada with 36 percent. New York, Florida, Texas, Arizona, New Jersey and Hawaii were some of the states that also had at least one-quarter of students this age with at least one foreign-born parent.
Source: School Enrollment in the United States: 2006
Nearly 80%
Percentage of students ages 12 to 17 who were academically on-track in 2006, up 8 percentage points from 1998. The odds of being on-track were 48 percent higher for these students if they were in a gifted class and 34 percent higher if they had never been suspended or expelled from school.
(Students were considered to be academically on-track if they were enrolled in school at or above the grade level appropriate for their age.)
Source: A Child’s Day: 2006 (Selected Indicators of Child Well-Being)
52%
Percentage of 12- to 17-year-olds who were highly engaged in school in 2006, up 5 percentage points from 1998. For 6- to 11-year-olds, the respective increase was from 56 percent to 59 percent.
Source: A Child’s Day: 2006 (Selected Indicators of Child Well-Being)
41%
Percentage of 6- to 17-year-olds who participated in sports in 2006, up from 34 percent in 1998. Participation in sports was the most popular extracurricular activity.
Source: A Child’s Day: 2006 (Selected Indicators of Child Well-Being)
Languages
10.9 million
Number of school-age children (5 to 17) who spoke a language other than English at home in 2008; 7.8 million of these children spoke Spanish at home.
Source: 2008 American Community Survey
45%
Percentage of children enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade in California who spoke a language other than English at home in 2006.
California, which led all states, was followed by Texas (35 percent), New Mexico (34 percent) and Arizona (32 percent). The national average was 21 percent. (The percentages for Texas and New Mexico were not significantly different from one another.)
Source: School Enrollment in the United States: 2006
Lunchtime
31 million
Average number of children participating each month in the national school lunch program in 2008.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010,Table 558
10 billion
The nation’s total apple production, in pounds, in 2009. The chances are good that the apples your children present to their teachers or enjoy for lunch were grown in Washington state, which accounted for more than half of the nation’s total production.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
College
19.1 million
The projected number of students enrolled in the nation’s colleges and universities this fall. This is up from 13.8 million 20 years ago.
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010,Table 214
16%
Percentage of all college students 35 and older in October 2008. They made up 36 percent of those attending school part time.
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2008
64%
Percentage of undergraduates enrolled in four-year colleges in October 2008. Of those enrolled in such schools, 83 percent attended full time.
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2008
49%
Percentage of 18- and 19-year-olds enrolled in college in 2008.
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2008
55%
Percentage of college students who were women in October 2008.
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2008
40%
Percentage of New Jersey residents who were college freshmen and attended school in-state, the lowest rate in the nation among states (as of fall 2006). Utah, at 90 percent, had the highest rate. (The District of Columbia had a rate of 29 percent.)
Source: National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010,Table 277
26%
Among freshmen enrolled in colleges and universities in Rhode Island, the percentage enrolled in their home state ─ the lowest percentage in the nation among states in 2006. Texas (92 percent) had the highest percentage in 2006. (The District of Columbia had a rate of 7 percent.)
Source: National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010,Table 277
How Many Schools?
98,793
Number of public schools in 2006-07. In 2007-08, there were 28,218 private schools.
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010,Tables 234 and 255 (Note: Data for public and private schools pertain to different years because they were collected from separate surveys.)
4,352
Number of institutions of higher education in 2007.
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010,Table 269
3,970
The number of public charter schools nationwide in 2006-07. These schools, exempt from selected state and local rules and regulations, enrolled 1.2 million students.
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010,Table 233
Teachers and Other School Personnel
7.2 million
Number of teachers in the United States in 2008. Almost 3 million taught at the elementary and middle school level. The remainder included those teaching at the postsecondary, secondary, preschool and kindergarten levels.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010,Table 603
$63,640
Average annual salary of public school teachers in California as of the 2006-2007 school year — the highest of any state. Teachers in South Dakota received the lowest pay — $35,378. The national average was $50,758. High school principals earned $97,486 annually in 2007-08.
Source: National Education Association and Educational Research Service as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010,Tables 247 and 250
$16.56
Average hourly wage for the nation’s school bus drivers in 2007-08.
Custodians earned $14.19, while cafeteria workers made $11.60.
Source: Educational Research Service as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010,Table 250
Technology
14.2 million
Number of computers available for classroom use in the nation’s schools as of the 2005-2006 school year. That works out to one computer for every four students.
Source: Market Data Retrieval as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010,Table 254
The Rising Cost of College
$14,915
Average tuition, room and board (for in-state students) at the nation’s four-year public colleges and universities for an academic year (2007-08).
That was more than double the cost in 1990.
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010,Table 282
$40,640
Average tuition, room and board at the nation’s four-year private colleges and universities for one academic year (2007-08). That also was more than double the 1990 figure.
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010,Table 282
The Rewards of Staying in School
$83,144
Average annual 2008 earnings of workers 18 and older with an advanced degree. This compares with $21,023 for those without a high school diploma.
In addition, those with a bachelor’s degree earned an average of $58,613 in 2008, while those with a high school diploma earned $31,283.
Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2009
$75,621
Average starting salary offered to bachelor’s degree candidates in petroleum engineering in 2008, among the highest of any field of study. At the other end of the spectrum were those majoring in a social science, who were offered an average of $39,476.
Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010,Table 287
Graduation
3.3 million
Projected number of high school diplomas that will be awarded in the 2010-11 school year.
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010,Table 216
3.3 million
Number of college degrees expected to be conferred in the 2010-11 school year.
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010, Table 216
Government Spending on Public Education
$9,666
The per-pupil expenditure on public elementary and secondary education nationally in 2007. New York ($15,981) spent the most among states or state equivalents, followed by New Jersey ($15,691) and the District of Columbia ($14,324). Utah ($5,683) spent the least per student, followed by Idaho ($6,625) and Tennessee ($7,113).
Source: Public Education Finances: 2007
Parental Involvement
89%
Among K-12 students, the percentage with a parent or other household member who attended a general school or PTO/PTA meeting during the 2006-07 school year. Additionally, 65 percent had such a relative who participated in school fundraising and 46 percent who volunteered to serve on a school committee.
Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010,Table 243
