Stephen Stirling
Data Reporter, The Star-Ledger
StephenStirling@gmail.com
(973)392-4174
Maps! Huzzah!
Note: You’ll need a google account to accomplish this lesson. If you don’t have
one, please create one here while I yammer on about stuff in the next few minutes:
https://accounts.google.com/SignUp or just google “create a google account.”
Maps in Life
Cartography has been around for centuries, giving the human race perspective on where things
are in the world around them. But recently, technology has allowed mapping to expand our
understanding of the world around us in wildly different ways, allowing us to see the forest for
the trees in ways not previously imagined. Most people now use maps in their everyday life.
Mapping in Journalism
Journalism is no different. Interactive mapping has allowed reporters across the globe to tell
stories or enlighten their readers to information in new ways previously not available.
Technology has developed in such a way that even citizens with a passing knowledge of the
internet can create an interactive map, and the learning curve is infinite. Nothing is impossible -the pathways from your imagination to the page just haven’t been discovered.
Examples
Here’s a few different ways I’ve used mapping in different arenas of my work:
Breaking News -- http://bit.ly/1avO0tV
When a large portion of the Seaside Heights/Park boardwalk went up in flames, we used this
map to update readers on the status of their beloved haunts.
Finding a story -- http://bit.ly/16HgG0e
When I discovered that an alarming number of Newark’s fire hydrants weren’t working, creating
a map allowed me to see what the most severely impacted areas of the city were, where staring at
a spreadsheet did not.
Telling a story -- http://bit.ly/Hma3d9
Amy Ellis Nutt and Andre Malok put together an incredible project on a neglected portion of the
New Jersey coast a year after Hurricane Sandy. But it was long and the media was fragmented. I
used this map to help tell their story and not only bring readers through the important plot points,
Stephen Stirling
Data Reporter, The Star-Ledger
StephenStirling@gmail.com
(973)392-4174
but point them to various aspects of their project.
Illuminating Data -- http://bit.ly/3dAyW
People often want to know what data means to them, and mapping can help solve that. But data
in a spreadsheet is often difficult to get through. On our data page, we use interactive maps to
more easily show people what the data we’re presenting means to them. But again, visualizing
data can help drive a story. The Census demographics map helped produce a number of
fascinating stories. The numbers told the story, but the map showed them.
Advice
1. Fail, and fail often.
2. Don’t be discouraged by the advice above.
3. Don’t make a map for the sake of making a map. Make sure it adds to the content around it or
provides something of substance to your readers.
4. If you don’t know, ask. There’s a tremendous community of people who know how to do
things, don’t be afraid to show your ignorance. See resources in the list below.
5. Fail.
Geocoding
In order to create your map, mapping programs need a location. This can come in a several forms
-- Latitude and Longitude points or an address are the most common examples.
If you’re creating a polygon map, such as a map showing data for all of New Jersey’s
municipalities, you’ll need two other things.
1.) A file that creates the polygons, such as a shape file or a KML file, which are available
publicly in several places listed in the resources section below.
2.) A column in your data that bridges the two. In order for both the data and the polygon to
display, they have to be merged. Such a merge can be completed in some mapping
programs, like Google Fusion Tables, or in a database program like Microsoft Access.
The two columns have to match exactly for it to work, so a uniform code for your data is
advised.
The Census has a unique code, often referred to as a FIPS code, that works well for
virtually every geography in the country, from the U.S. to tiny Census blocks. This is the
most commonly used code used for these purposes.
I know that may seem daunting, but it’s not really as bad as it sounds. Today, we’ll just focus on
point maps.
Stephen Stirling
Data Reporter, The Star-Ledger
StephenStirling@gmail.com
(973)392-4174
Making your first map
1. Google Forms -- This google app is a great way to create crowdsourced information. It can
create a database from a questionnaire, which is what I used to collect data on Rowan
journalism alums. The data we need to create the map is already on your computers, so we
don’t need to worry about it right now.
2. Sign on to Google Maps Engine -- Now that you have a google account, sign on to Google
Maps Engine Lite via this address: https://mapsengine.google.com/map/
Or you can just google it, your choice.
3. Import your data -- You’ll see an import tab at the left half of your screen. Click the
“Select file from your computer” button in the middle of the next prompt. Now select the file
“Rowan Journalism Tracker (Responses),” which should be on your desktop.
4. Geocode your data -- Next you’ll get a couple of prompts. The first will be a prompt
asking you to select a column in your data to position your placemarkers. It’s essentially
asking you where your location data is so it can geocode it and drop placemarkers. Check the
address box and click continue.
That will bring you to a screen that asks you to select a column to title your markers. Here it
just wants you to select a column that will be a title when you click on a placemarker. In this
case we’ll use Alum. Check that and hit continue.
Voila! You now have a point map showing the current locations and jobs of Rowan alums. If
you click on an icon you’ll see the data we imported displayed in the info windows.
5. Style your map – That’s a great start, but let’s style it a bit. Click on the red placemarker
that says “all items” on the left part of the screen.
Then, click data, just above it. This is the data we’re going to show on the map’s clickable
info windows. We don’t need the time column though, so let’s get rid of it. Click the arrow on
the upper right corner of the “Time” column, then select delete.
Great, now let’s style the markers. Click on the “style” button in the upper left. Let’s color the
icons based on what area of journalism they’re in. Click “uniform style,” and in the drop
down, select “area.” This automatically groups the areas by color, but I think we can do
better. Click on the paint can that appears when you hover over “print” for example, then
“more icons.”
Now select one of the custom icons to represent people in that group. Conveniently, there’s a
yellow newspaper icon, so select that one. Now everyone who answered that they were in
print journalism are represented by that icon. You can repeat the process with the other
groups and play with the icon styling.
Stephen Stirling
Data Reporter, The Star-Ledger
StephenStirling@gmail.com
(973)392-4174
6. Share your map! -- Show your map to the world! Click the share button on the top right
of the screen. By default, these maps are private so change the privacy settings public on the
web.
If you click the folder on the top left, you’ll see you can either grab an embed code to place it
on another site or download it. You can also just provide people a direct link to your map.
Congrats! You’re on your way to being a mapping pro!
Resources:
For Beginners:
Google Maps Engine Lite – Useful for quick, simple maps and getting your feet wet.
http://mapsengine.google.com
Mapbox – If you’re looking for a point map creator with extensive styling options, this is the
place to go.
http://Mapbox.com
Digging deeper (intermediate):
Google Fusion Tables – Great for basic polygon/point maps. Allows you to merge data with
geography files. Customizable coloring, info boxes. Seamless integration with Google Products.
Access from Google Drive.
https://support.google.com/fusiontables/answer/2571232?hl=en
TileMill – Companion software to Mapbox. Unlocks a whole new world of mapping and
customization options, such as adding legends, search functionality and scores of other
possibilities.
https://www.mapbox.com/tilemill/
Tableau Public – A visualization platform that allows you to not only make maps, but link them
with other types of visuals, such as charts and graphs.
http://www.tableausoftware.com/public/
Google Earth – Google’s free satellite mapping program is good for designing maps that can
later be exported to other programs for display on the web. Advanced users can use to build flythroughs.
http://www.google.com/earth/
Stephen Stirling
Data Reporter, The Star-Ledger
StephenStirling@gmail.com
(973)392-4174
Batch Geo – Easy to use mapping program that geocodes hard data and displays in points on a
map.
http://batchgeo.com/
You Go Mapping Pro! (advanced)
Mapbox.js – Mapbox’s javascript library. Allows for endless possibilities – real-time maps,
narrative maps, etc. Requires some more extensive coding experience, but plenty of good
tutorials online.
https://www.mapbox.com/mapbox.js/api/v1.4.0/
Google Fusion Tables API – Unlocks the full potential of this Google tool. Allows for coding
to be implemented with FT products, allowing for far greater customization possibilities.
https://developers.google.com/fusiontables/
Google Maps API – Same as above, just for Google Maps proper.
https://developers.google.com/maps/
QGIS – Free mapping program that mimics the very expensive ArcView. Allows you to build
complex maps that can then be exported to other programs for web display.
http://www.qgis.org/en/site/
Leaflet – the site’s tagline says it all: A javascript library for building mobile friendly maps.
http://leafletjs.com/
CartoDB – Another powerful mapping platform that can create beautiful data-driven maps.
http://cartodb.com/
Polygon files:
Census Tiger Files: The Census has an awesome inventory of geographical polygons
(municipalities, states, counties, etc. that are free to the public.
http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/tiger.html
N.J. Geographic Information Network: If you’re looking locally, the NJ GIN is another great
resource for state geography files. They have tons of them.
https://njgin.state.nj.us/NJ_NJGINExplorer/index.jsp
Other Helpful Tools/Resources:
Code Academy – Need to learn HTML/CSS/Javascript and more? This site provides easy to
follow, free interactive lessons on code.
Stephen Stirling
Data Reporter, The Star-Ledger
StephenStirling@gmail.com
(973)392-4174
http://www.codecademy.com/
Color Brewer – Need advice on color options and gradients? This easy to use tool is perfect.
colorbrewer2.org
Shape Escape – Not all mapping programs accept shape files (I’m looking at you Google). This
web-application will convert them into other formats.
http://www.shpescape.com/
Other Helpful Tools/Resources (cont’d):
Google Forms – Great tool for crowdsourcing data. Helps create simple forms/questionnaires
and can collect answers in a Google Spreadsheet. Access it from Google Drive.
https://support.google.com/drive/answer/87809?hl=en
Investigative Reporters & Editors – Join IRE! Not only do you get access to a host of
reporting resources, you can join their IRE and NICAR (National Institute of Computer-Assisted
Reporting) listservs, where you’ll have access to the boundless knowledge of the active and
helpful data reporting community.
http://www.ire.org
NICAR conference – The largest annual gathering of data nerds in the world! Every February,
the best and brightest in data journalism gather to teach courses and present new tools for data
journalists, including mapping.
http://www.ire.org/nicar/
Stack Overflow – Not unlike the NICAR listserv, this active community can help answer any
question you get hung up on in the computer world.
http://stackoverflow.com/
Contact me:
I’m always here to help.
Stephen Stirling
973-392-4174
sstirling@starledger.com
Follow me:
On Twitter: @sstirling
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephenDStirling