A recent posting on Paul Grabowicz's listserv would seem to indicate something's afoot, at least in LA, in terms of recognizing the practitioner's need for analytic journalism.
“American Public Media
Public Insight Analyst
Los Angeles
Application deadline: 12/31/1969
Posted: March 20, 2006
Radio posting
MPR/APM has a growing network of 12,000 people who have agreed to help us
cover the news. The Public Insight Analyst joins a team that is creating,
extending and using this new model for regional and national news
programs. The job involves using formats – from interactive games to
blogging to online collaborative spaces – to tap public insight.
Journalism duties:
– Works closely with reporters, editors and producers to define how to
best use the public source network and other tools to strengthen news
coverage and talk shows
– Checks information and vets public sources, and identifies story ideas
– Produces occasional stories for broadcast and Web
Online & Analytic duties:
– Updates, searches, and organizes confidential database of public
sources
– Writes effective targeted surveys to generate useful information for
news staff
– Analyzes large amounts of information from online simulations and
surveys using various software and synthesizes and distils results into
reports
– Works with IT and online editors to design interactive software and Web
pages
Relationship duties:
– Cultivates and manages relationships with public source network “by
phone, e-mail and in person “to be responsive to source ideas and
extend the network
– Organizes and coordinates across divisions to produce PIJ meetings and
events
– Plans and implements outreach to attract new sources that fill gaps in
database
For additional information, including details on how to apply, see:
http://journalism.berkeley.edu/jobs/details.php?cat=rad&ID=2857
