Powermapping and data journalism research

Powermapping and data journalism research

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Power map

• create a narrative that can be shared with journalists
• making connections between people, funds, organizations, etc.
• visual way for people to understand data
• corporate websites are filled with info

littlesis.org

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• explore other people's map
• create powermaps
• webinar for making divestment power maps for universities
• when making your connections add links as citations for proving your case
• sponsored by Public Accountablity Initiative (PAI)
• free tools, can make private tools
• using google sheets or open libre sheets for collecting data
• you can drag the entities around; people tend to read left to right

Little Sis Trainings:

• Webinar slides:
  • https://littlesis.org/static/PrivateEquityFossilFuelsUniversitiesWebinar.pdf
• Webinar recording:
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MB_ZQtM6GY

• SFERS Retirement Board
  • who is on the board and what are their connections

• Decarceral Reform Powermap: CA Board of Parole Hearings
  • who are these people?
  • how do they get appointed
  • where did they work before they were appointed?
  • call to action is let Newsome know we need more public defenders, social workers, and public interest people on the board
  • state where the data is from

• City Administrator's Office - Public works Organizational Structure
  • Clone: SF City Hall Corruption: Mohammed Nuru
    • make the case that oversight is needed
    • who did Paul Guisti contribute to?
      • powersearch.sos.ca.gov
      • calaccess website

• How does SF Defund Police?
  • SF2020 Public Safety Budget
  • organizing power map

• Republican Billionairs are Buying the SF Board of Supervisors
  • looking at Rep billionaires and their PAC connections
  • funding moderate candidates
  • narrative who is paying for who

Sreadsheet

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• Election campaigning for judges
  • spreadsheet as a map
  • research:
    • who appointed
    • what is their cohort
    • year appointed
  • resource
    • trellis.law
    • has bios

Why use power maps instead of existing sites?

• such as followthemoney.org
• https://www.opensecrets.org/
• maplight.org
• these tools do not always have enough info
• opposition sometimes files forms using incorrect spellings

LinkedIn

• entities and relationships are data that is available on linkedin
• using as a tool for researching backgrounds, connections, and sharing as popular education
• using networks on linkedin as a way of sharing information/causes

Trellis - Judge Database

• costs money
• just google search: Judge Name trellis.law to get one judge per search to avoid paywall