2016 Azbee Awards of Excellence
Category
Online > Data Journalism > Mid Atlantic
Awarded to
Alex Koma, Staff Reporter
Entry details
Body camera bills explode in popularity among state lawmakers in 2015
Issue date (if applicable): 12/29/2015
Publication name: StateScoop
Publishing company: Scoop News Group
Website home page: StateScoop.com
Please describe the publication's mission and readership:
StateScoop is an online publication that delivers breaking news and original analysis for and about state and local government information technology decision-makers. Our staff reporters and editors focus primarily on how government agencies are acquiring, developing and using technology to improve their internal operations and the services they deliver to the public. We also report on technology developments that are likely to have an impact on the nearly $50 billion state and local government agencies spend annually on IT.
Please describe the enterprising work that went into this entry and its significance or impact on readers:
The proliferation of state and local initiatives mandating that law enforcement officers wear body cameras has been one of the more controversial issues of our time, and one that has significant consequences for our readers who must consider how to manage all that video data.
StateScoop recently began working with a legislative data analytics company, giving us access to their database of bills from every state legislature.
By using the database’s search functions, StateScoop staff reporter Alex Koma was able to comb through thousands of bills, find and analyze relevant needles in the legislative haystack relating to the issue of body-worn cameras.
By comparing the results to what legislators introduced and passed last year, he was able to demonstrate that the issue is increasingly one that lawmakers and policy makers are considering. He also discovered what the bills have in common, and how the bills governed public access to video footage produced by police body cameras.
The issue of collecting, storing, managing and protecting that data is a critical issue for our readers, making this original report, and the use of data analysis in our reporting extremely helpful for our readers.
Links to entry URLs
Please note: These URLs are only required for entries in the Online division categories, entries in the Design division categories that are specific to websites, entries in the Website of the Year category, and entries in the Cross-Platform Package of the Year category.
Entry URL(s), if applicable:
http://statescoop.com/database-body-camera-bills-explode-popularity-among-state-lawmakers-2015/
Links to Uploaded Entry Files
Please note: The links below are the same links as clicking on the Preview images at the top of this column. You may click the links below to view each submitted entry file.
View entry file #1
View entry file #2
View entry file #3
View entry file #4
View entry file #5
View entry file #6
View entry file #7
View entry file #8
View entry file #9
View entry file #10
Body camera bills explode in popularity among state lawmakers in 2015
Category
Online > Data Journalism > Mid Atlantic
Description
Publication name:
StateScoop
Company:
Scoop News Group
Winner Status
- Regional Gold Award
Share