Category Archives: Data Visualization

SHARK-O-METER: Which pop culture shark has the biggest bite?

The 40th anniversary of sea thriller “Jaws” is upon us. The Steven Spielberg-directed classic starring Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss left its mark on pop culture for decades to come, from tongue-in-cheek comedy sketches to the most menacing movie music this side of the “Imperial March.” We’ve ranked some of the most notable sharks in pop culture from their most menacing to the most humorous with our Shark-O-Meter.

The stuff nightmares are made of
“Jaws”: Released in 1975, the suspense-ridden classic scared beachgoers and reminded us all that we’re gonna need a bigger boat.
Shark Week: Sharks are majestic creatures – and they can kill you. Discovery Channel’s popular annual shark programming reminds us of this and starts July 5.

Terrifying
“Open Water”: This 2003 psychological thriller has a scuba-diving couple left behind and battling those biters of the deep.
“Sharknado”: Ian Ziering of “Beverly Hills, 90210” fame battles a tornado of sharks in Los Angeles. You decide what’s more frightening – the concept or the acting.

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Timeline: Chino Beef Recall

Timelines are one of my specialties in the newsroom. I often create them for other reporters. This one is about the landmark beef recall out of Chino, Calif.

This appeared on The Press-Enterprise’s website and was adapted for print in November 2013.

Timeline: Shutting down the soda stream

I often pitch in and help out news reporters with various data visualizations. This one is about lawmakers’ attempts to regulate soft drinks.

This appeared on The Press-Enterprise’s website and was adapted for print in October 2013.

COACHELLA 2014: When will the lineup be announced?

I’m one of those reporters where just writing the words isn’t enough. When I have a chance to illustrate something with charts and infographics, I will. By using our analytics software, I could tell that readers were finding my blog by searching for when the 2014 Coachella Festival lineup would be released. I used that knowledge to create an infographic. I also used the phrase in my blog headline to attract more readers via search engines.

This post originally appeared at the Audio File blog on The Press-Enterprise’s website on Jan. 4, 2014.

The crowd cheers for the Red Hot Chili Peppers during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, Calif., on Sunday, April 14, 2013. (2013/File Photo)

We’re only in single-digit days in January and I’m already getting a barrage of “When will the Coachella lineup be announced?” emails and social media messages.

The short answer: The 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival lineup will be announced when Goldenvoice says it’s ready. (Remember last year when the ink had barely dried on the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ when the lineup announcement came out?) The work continues until that poster comes out.

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MAP: Coachella 2012 print map

This is the print version of the 2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival artist origin map. Combined with the online presentation, it received second place in the graphics illustration category of the California Newspaper Publishers Association Awards.

The print adaptation of the original Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival artist origin map.