From bits to Pulitzer: when journalism in the public interest scores a scoop

From bits to Pulitzer: when journalism in the public interest scores a scoop

When bit met data sparks did fly. Introducing journalists and software engineers, or more broadly journalism and advanced data sorting software, has resulted in investigative reporting of a depth and sophistication that would perhaps have been unthinkable just a few years ago. The Florida insurance industry, EU project funding and payments by pharmaceutical multinational to thousands of doctors are just three recent exemplary cases. The first, a two-year investigation into the arcane Florida property insurance system, won Paige St John the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for investigative journalism, one of the highest accolades in the profession. Paige will be on the panel to tell her story. She will be joined by Caelainn Barr and Dan Nguyen who have been involved in the the second and third examples. Journalism in the public interest by virtue of putting into the public domain information of legitimate public concern which would otherwise have remained hidden.