We’ve never had as much immigration enforcement data as we do right now. It’s true, not because this administration is more transparent (quite the opposite), but because the knowledge, skills, and infrastructure needed to pry loose detailed government records has (finally) been taken up by more people and organizations.
This is a good thing.
But just because more data is available doesn’t mean that every reporter and newsroom is ready to responsibly and accurately maximize this data to enrich stories on deadline. That’s why I am partnering with Documented (formerly Documented NY), a non-profit newsroom in New York City with whom I share a longstanding affinity, to bring immigration data training to journalists in the Big Apple and across the country.
Let me tell you about Documented and why they are such a good fit for this work. Documented was founded by Max Siegelbaum and Mazin Sidahmed in 2018 to fill a gap in immigration coverage by and for immigrants, whose need for rigorous reporting is not limited to the latest national immigration news, but touches on a wide range of local working class issues, from wage theft to I.D. cards and beyond.
Their target audience is the multi-lingual immigrant community in New York City, but their focus on immigrant-related issues in our county’s preeminent city means that they naturally reach a large audience beyond that demographic and geography. As a nimble, forward-thinking newsroom, they are use creative digital-first approaches to distributing news in ways that meet people where they are. Just see the outstanding column, “The Throughline”, by one of my favorite immigration experts, Dara Lind, and their top-notch weekly newsletter, “Early Arrival.”
And finally, Documented also runs a robust research-driven education program that trains reporters on how to assess the needs of their audience and report on local issues that matter to them. This means that they have the infrastructure and expertise to facilitate the types of trainings that I believe are most important at this contentious moment.
To kick off our partnership, Documented hosted our first workshop last week at their office in downtown Manhattan. It filled in a day. Reporters showed up for the in-person-only, hands-on orientation to immigration data. We were joined by experienced data journalists, immigration reporters who don’t usually work directly with data, journalism students from Columbia, and editors who understand the value of data. I was amazed at the interest, experience, and enthusiasm in the room.
Here’s the short version of what we did: we talked about the basics of what immigration data is, how we get it, and how to analyze it; then we rolled-up our sleeves, downloaded data, and waded through it together. Because the room included people with a variety of level of skills, knowledge, and experience, datasets were tailored to self-selected comfort levels to minimize the risk that anyone would feel under-challenged or overwhelmed. The first part distilled years of my own work with immigration data into actionable and teachable frameworks; the second part focused on experiencing the joyful, confusing, and messy process of authentic discovery.
The workshop was just 90 minutes, which, if you think about the scope of what we promised, is not a lot of time. Speaking just for myself, I would have loved if it could have been twice as long so I could learn even more from what everyone in the room was seeing. Even so, several reporters in the room left with actionable story ideas, which, I am told by dear friends at Documented, is a sign that we accomplished what we set out to do together.
In addition to providing more trainings in the future, I will be writing about my ongoing research for Documented on a regular basis, and hosting a regular conversation with Documented’s team about the stories behind their most impactful stories and getting an inside look at 21st century journalism.
I couldn’t be more excited about this partnership. Rebecca Neuwirth, Max Siegelbaum, and Mazin Sidahmed have been incredible to work with and I could not be more excited about where Documented is headed!