The Ministry of Justice is inviting suggestions on data that might be opened up – but the list of 43 datasets also provides lot of ideas for Freedom of Information requests. Let us know if you do anything with them!
Over on the Online Journalism Blog I’ve reviewed Deep Web for Journalists by Alan Pearce. It’s a much-recommended book for users of this site too – read the review for a summary of some of the key takeaways.
Severn Trent Water Key Performance Indicators 2012
If you’re interested in learning more about how the water industry works, Ofwat’s pages on regulating the industry provide information on the industry itself, what water and sewerage companies have to do to keep their licences, and how they are regulated. You can also find links to the water companies’ annual reports, including their ‘key performance indicators‘ The section of Key Indicators explains these (also called KPIs): it includes a link to a spreadsheet (XLSX) which does the following: Continue reading
Widening state surveillance of the web and stories about corporate phone hacking have made journalists increasingly concerned about the security of their communications. In this context Eveline Lubbers‘ book on corporate and police surveillance, Secret Manoeuvres in the Dark, is particularly timely.
The book focuses on a number of well-researched cases from the past two decades involving subterfuge by private companies and police – sometimes in collaboration with each other.
Each case provides key insights into the methods used to gather information on campaigners, activists and researchers, and to use that in strategies against them – but it also details strategies to mislead journalists and influence publishers.
It is in these latter cases that the book proves particularly valuable to journalists wishing to know the right questions to ask to avoid being ‘spun’. Continue reading