who is ben welsh? . palewire

Hello. My name is Ben Welsh. I’m a native Iowan living in Los Angeles.

I am a reporter, albeit an unconventional one. I specialize in what is called computer-assisted reporting. Journalists in the past were often hack novelists. I'm a hack computer programmer. I use computers to collect, organize, analyze and present large amounts of information.

I work at the Los Angeles Times, a daily newspaper and 24-hour website based in Southern California. Before working at The Times, I worked on investigative projects at The Center for Public Integrity, helped produce long-form documentaries for cable channels like CNN, and pitched in on some television and newspaper reporting.

I earned a master’s degree from the Missouri School of Journalism — where I worked at the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting (NICAR). I received my undergraduate training at DePaul University in Chicago.

I am also the editor and publisher of PastPages, an archive dedicated to the preservation of online news.

Elsewhere on the site you can find samples of my programming work and my news clips.

Technical Skills

• Programming with Python and Perl

• Database-driven web development with Django

• Online cartography with GeoDjango, PostGIS, TileMill and JavaScript UI libraries

• Database administration with PostgreSQL, MySQL and Microsoft SQL Server

• UI development with JavaScript, CSS and HTML5 web standards

• Development and deployment with Rackspace, Amazon Web Services and Google App Engine

• Getting it done on deadline

Awards

• 2013 Data Journalism Awards, Finalist

• 2012 California Newspaper Publishers Assn, Winner, Best Coverage of Local Government

• 2012 Los Angeles Times Editorial Awards, Winner, President's Prize

• 2012 Los Angeles Times Editorial Awards, Winner, Graphics

• SND34, Best of Digital Design, Data Project (Breaking News), Award of Excellence

• 2013 NICAR T-shirt Contest, Winner

• 2012 Online Journalism Awards, Finalist, Technical Innovation in the Service of Digital Journalism

• 2012 Online Journalism Awards, Winner, Breaking News Large

• 2012 Worth Bingham Prize for Investigative Journalism, Winner

• 2012 Selden Ring Award for Investigative Reporting, Finalist

• 2012 NICAR T-shirt Contest, Winner

• 2011 Los Angeles Times Editorial Awards, Winner, Digital Presentation

• 2011 Los Angeles Times Editorial Awards, Winner, Publisher's Prize

• 2011 IRE Finalist, Print/Online - Large

• 2011 Online Journalism Awards, Finalist, Outstanding Informational Graphic or Data Visualization

• 2011 "25 under 35" list, Editor and Publisher magazine

• 2010 Online Journalism Awards, Finalist, Community Collaboration

• 2009 "14 under 40" list of alumni success stories, DePaul University Magazine

• 2009 Los Angeles Times Editorial Awards, Winner, Multimedia

• 2009 Los Angeles Times Editorial Awards, Winner, Online Presentation

• 2009 Online Journalism Awards, Finalist, Community Collaboration

• 2009 Online Journalism Awards, Finalist, Multimedia Feature Presentation

• 2008 IRE Certificate, Winner, Local Circulation Weeklies

• 2008 Scripps Howard Foundation, Winner, Web Reporting

• 2008 SEJ Awards, Winner, Outstanding Online Reporting

• 2008 SPJ-Fort Worth First Amendment Awards, Winner, Green News

• 2008 Online Journalism Awards, Finalist, Outstanding Use of Digital Technology

• 2007 SPJ Sigma Delta Chi Awards, Winner, Online Non-Deadline Reporting (Independent) and Online Investigative Reporting (Independent)

• 2007 AHCJ Awards, Winner, Trade/Online Journals/Newsletters

• 2007 IRE Certificate, Winner, Online

Social Media

• Delicious

• Donors Choose

• Facebook

• Flickr

• Flixster

• Foursquare

• GitHub

• GoodReads

• Google+

• Kiva

• Last.FM

• LinkedIn

• OpenStreetMap

• StackOverflow

• Twitter

• Untapped

Contacts

palewiredotcom

GPG Public Key

Version: GnuPG v1.4.12 (GNU/Linux)

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Who is Ben Welsh?