Presentation at the 2015 ESRI Conference on: The Power of Science, GIS and Sensors: A Case Study in Sensor Journalism by Kevin Robinson and Amy Schmitz Weiss

1. The Power of Science, GIS and
Sensors:
A Case Study in Sensor
Journalism
ESRI CONFERENCE 2015
PROF. AMY SCHMITZ WEISS & KEVIN ROBINSON
sensorjournalism.wordpress.com

2. WHAT’S IN THE AIR
AIR QUALITY
SENSOR PROJECT
• Collaboration between inewsource and journalism
and geology departments at San Diego State
University
• Co-taught by journalism professor and geology
lecturer
• Semester-long project – students’ stories and data
collected from air quality sensors deployed in
the community - published on inewsource
• Sensor technology
• ARCGIS: mapping of sensor data (for discovery,
storytelling, and analysis)
• Year-long grant funded by the 2014-2015 ONA
Hack the Curriculum Grant

3. • Interdisciplinary
approach
• Teaching journalistic
and scientific processes
in the classroom
OUR FRAMEWORK

4. STORY IDEA
• Datasets from the CalEnviroScreen 2.0 report
and EPA datasets on PM2.5 levels
• Explore and observe the different
neighborhoods of San Diego and their air
quality:
• Barrio Logan
• Logan Heights
• Chollas Creek
• Bankers Hill
• Using custom-built sensor kits and observe the
air quality in selected neighborhoods
• Numerous observations, data points
collected, stories formed over time
• inewsource guidance throughout process
Chicano Park in Barrio Logan. Photo by Camelle Sison

5. THE
COLLABORATORS
• Kevin Robinson (Geology)
• Joe Yerardi, Lorie Hearn
(inewsource)
• Other departments on campus
(e.g. Public Health, Geology,
Geography)
• Multiple guest speakers (e.g.
data journalism, sensor tech,
public health, etc.)
• Community involvement: (e.g.
sensor beta-testers, provided
general feedback, etc.)

6. MAPPING FOR
EXPLORATION
ARCGIS skills taught:
• Navigating existing maps/
datasets
• Creating layers
• Adding in geo-located data
points on a map
• Merging datasets together on
one map
• Creating legends/keys
• Sharing/publishing maps

7. STORYTELLING AND
SENSORS
• 22 stories produced; 9
published on inewsource
• 2 video explainers created
• 1 interactive ESRI map of
neighborhood sensor
observations collected
• Community observations
map/dataset - forthcoming

8. CONCLUSIONS
• Geographic inquiry model - a solid framework to lead this kind of
sensor journalism project (parallels between science/journalism)
• ARCGIS was a crucial tool - the power of mapping data; telling
important stories through location/maps
• Exciting future for sensor journalism when combined with
powerful maps - to tell important stories about the community on
a micro level

9. THANKS! QUESTIONS?
ASCHMITZ@MAIL.SDSU.EDU
@DIGITALAMYSW
AND
ROCKROBINSON@GMAIL.COM
FOLLOW OUR NEWS COVERAGE:
http://inewsource.org/whats-in-the-air/
TEACHING TIPS, BLOG,
CLASS SYLLABUS AND MORE:
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