Using data (without putting people to sleep)

Using data (without putting people to sleep)

Dorie Turner NoltAssistant Director of Communications

Georgia Department of EducationRecovering Journalist

(An actual PowerPoint slide posted on our website)

Data doesn’t have to be

complicated.

Reporters like simple, straight-forward facts they can put in stories.

Don’t make it hard for them. They’re not very good at math.

Complicated data doesn’t have to be complicated

Source: Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education

ccrpi.gadoe.org

20

40

60

80

100

Ove

rall

CC

RP

I Sco

re

0 20 40 60 80 100Percent Students Free/Reduced Lunch

Data source: GaDOE Accountability and Student Record

All Schools

2012 Overall CCRPI Score

Review of Improvement in National Assessments by States

04/21/23Georgia Department of Education

States with Improved SAT Scores


States with Improved SAT and ACT Scores


States with Improved SAT, ACT, and AP Scores


States with ImprovedSAT, ACT, AP, and NAEP Math Scores


States with Improved SAT, ACT, AP, NAEP Math and NAEP Reading Scores


States with Improved SAT, ACT, AP, NAEP Math, NAEP Reading and NAEP Science Scores


Working with reporters(they don’t bite – at least not all of them)

Dorie Turner NoltAssistant Director of Communications

Georgia Department of EducationRecovering Journalist

• What do YOU want to read? Pitch that story to reporters.

• Relationships, relationships, relationships. • Know when to cut your losses and move on. You

can’t fight every battle with every reporter.• Give your go-to reporters a chance at writing the

story before you send out the press release. • Don’t forget: They need YOU. You hold the keys to

what they want. • Most small papers don’t have data experts or

graphic artists. Use that to your advantage.

Tips from a former reporter

Tips from actual reporters

• Respond as efficiently as possible. Journalists work on deadline.

• During an interview, don't read off a press release. They need more information beyond what they've already read.

• If information is on background or off-the-record, say so beforehand.

• Unless absolutely necessary, email interviews are not preferable. Most people don't communicate the same way in writing as they do in speech. Written out responses to questions often come across as stilted and unnatural.

• Many reporters do not like to send questions in advance of an interview.

Tips from actual reporters

• Don't say "you need to write it just like this." You want people to trust that you can do your job. Trust that they can do theirs.

• You're going to have to have steady relationships with reporters. You have two choices. Your relationships can be collegial or they can be adversarial. Collegial is better.

• If you want good play in a story - a chance to really give your side - don't email a prepared statement 30 minutes after deadline and then complain that it was edited down.

• Beat the deadline by hours, give a live comment, be prepared to respond to a follow up question. You look better in print that way.

Using data (without putting people to sleep)

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Transcript of Using data (without putting people to sleep)