Learn to write code, build a web scraper at our September workshop

IRE and the University of Missouri Journalism School are offering a special workshop Sept. 4-7 that will introduce the basics of newsroom programming by teaching how to build one of the simplest but most useful tools in a data journalist's toolbox: a web scraper designed to automate the downloading of data. The workshop will also teach basic data-cleaning skills needed to prepare a dataset of public records for analysis. 

The course will be taught using Python, but the concepts will be applicable to any programming language. We'll cover topics like how to write and run code, how computer programs are structured and how data journalists use these tools to produce award-winning journalism in real-world newsrooms. 

Classes will be held at the University of Missouri Reynolds Journalism Institute in Columbia, MO and follow this schedule:

• Thursday evening — introductions and laptop setup
• Friday and Saturday — full days of coding instruction and practice
• Sunday morning — wrapup between 9 and 11 a.m.

Instructors are Chase Davis, assistant editor for interactive news development at The New York Times.

Space is limited. Registration will be allowed on a first-come/first-serve basis. Click here to register for the workshop.