Grant Smith data journalist

NJ/NYC
grant@grantmeaccess.com
901-412-5997
I am an award-winning journalist with nearly a decade of professional experience, including six years as a data
reporter at a metro daily newspaper. I taught a web development course at the University of Memphis for four
years, and now teach interactive journalism courses at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. I'm currently
freelancing for a couple of investigative outfits, and I brew a fine beer.

Experience
The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tenn.
data reporter

I analyzed databases and use GIS mapping for investigative stories and
developed interactive search tools and visualizations for the web.

Winner of the 2012 Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi Award
for investigative reporting for Cash Crop, an investigation of an oft-abused tax
subsidy program for farmland.

I also did general assignment reporting and wrote a bi-weekly data column.

Occasional web producer, edited stories, photos, video, social media

Developed a new online story budgeting tool and helped transition the website
CMS from Django/Ellington to EndPlay.

Developed a homicide tracker map and database

Member of the four-platform newsroom change committee

Tennessee AP Managing Editors Award: First place for multimedia for Withers:
Exposed

Green Eyeshade Awards: Withers: Exposed won first place for best online
public service journalism and I'm Al Qaeda won second place for best public
service reporting online.

Sept. 2008 to
Dec. 2014

Connecticut Health Investigative Team

data reporter, freelance

Analyze data for investigations, build and update searchable databases

Nov. 2014 to
present

Florida Center for Investigative Reporting

data reporter, freelance

Analyze data for investigations and develop interactive data visualizations,

which have appeared in the Miami Herald, the Florida Times-Union and the Lakeland
Ledger.

Sept. 2010 to
present

City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism

adjunct instructor

I teach Fundamentals of Interactive Journalism, in which students learn some

coding, mapping and the fundamentals of multimedia storytelling.

I also co-teach a Craft of Journalism course, in which students put those

interactive skills to further use telling great stories, combining writing and
multimedia components.

Oct. 2014 to
present

University of Memphis School of Journalism

adjunct instructor

I taught students web development and Photoshop.

Jan. 2010 to May

2014

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

intern reporter

As a member of the award-winning watchdog team, I used data reporting to

produce enterprise projects and watchdog stories, maintained databases.

Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism Competition: Race gap found in pothole

patching won second place for best investigative story or series

June 2008-Sept.
2008

Gannett News Service

intern reporter

Analyzed Environmental Protection Agency data for an investigation of sewer

system enforcement and infrastructure failure. The final package of stories, graphics
and a searchable database appeared in USA Today, the Nashville Tennessean and the
Indianapolis Star.

Assisted other reporters with their projects, developed a searchable database for
the GNS Intranet and other newsroom tasks.

Jan. 2008-April
2008

National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting

data analyst

Maintained government databases and fielded calls from journalists across the
country who needed a database or help with their analysis.

Compiled a new database for the library and helped update the handbook for
Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data analysis and reporting.

GIS analysis for TV station investigating sex offender residences near bus stops.

Aug. 2007-Dec.
2007

The Columbia Missourian

assistant city editor, enterprise reporter

Worked on long-term reporting projects that required thorough research,

computer-assisted reporting and collaboration with other reporters as an enterprise
reporter (Aug. 07-Dec. 07).

Wrote a Five Ideas column, in which the newspaper solicits reader input and
debate about controversial issues covered that week.

Mentored student reporters on the higher education and faith beats to develop
their reporting and writing skills while an assistant city editor (May 07-Aug. 07).
Helped with story idea generation and attended budget and beat meetings. Assigned
breaking news stories and edited stories from each beat for the upcoming edition.

Posted news stories on the website, and issued breaking-news bursts on the
website and to subscribers cell phones.

Held one copy editing shift per week for five months.

Kept a weekly blog about my reporting activities and our ongoing discussions
about how to produce higher quality journalism.

May 2007-Dec.
2007

MyMissourian
coordinator, web developer

Citizen-journalism coordinator on the K12 education beat and part of an effort

to increase the papers' engagement with its community.

Designed the Schoolhouse Talk blog, a K12 information center for residents. It
allows readers to submit their own content to supplement reporter-generated content.

Aug. 2007-Dec.
2007


Designed a blog for a contributor on the art of cobbling, and solicited citizen
contributions on a variety of subjects.
The Dominion Post
reporter, copy editor, designer

Reported full time on higher education and health care.

Proofed stories and designed pages.

Produced a daily wire budget and proofed the paper as it rolled off the press.

July 2004-June
2006

The Charleston Daily Mail in W.Va.

intern reporter

Covered government and a bit of everything interesting in a neighboring county.

As a Morgantown bureau reporter I filed stories about local events and people
that were of interest to the entire state.

Sept. 2002-Dec.
2002; May 2003Aug. 2003

U92, university radio station

As a reporter, I wrote and edited news stories and read them live on air.

Oct. - Nov. 2000

The Daily Athenaeum

managing editor, news editor, associate news editor, campus calendar/comics
editor, reporter, columnist

Responsible for the all-student newsroom staff, which produced an awardwinning daily newspaper

Reported on the goings-on of the university's administration and of its various

academic departments.

Best Reporter Award (fall 2001-spring 2002), Publishers Teammate Award (fall
2003-spring 2004), Best All-Around Employee award (2002), Senior Service Award
(2004)

Sept. 2000-May
2004

Education
University of Missouri at Columbia, Mo.
Masters of Arts in Journalism

Studied computer-assisted and investigative reporting

Attended Investigative Reporters & Editors' GIS Mapping Data for News
Stories Boot Camp (Aug. 2007)

Teaching assistant for Principles of American Journalism (Aug. 2006-May

2007); graded student work, helped students review for exams and administered an
online discussion board.
West Virginia University at Morgantown, W.Va.
Bachelor of Science

Journalism major; international and comparative politics minor

Contributing author Cancer Stories: Lessons in Love, Loss & Hope, WVU
Press 2005

Society of Professional Journalists student chapter president fall 2002-spring

2004

Member, School of Journalism Student Fees Committee

Edgar Maya Model Organization of American States delegate Washington,

D.C., 2004

2006-2008

2000-2004

Extracurricular education

Python Codeacademy

The Land Ethic Reclaimed:

Perceptive Hunting, Aldo Leopold,
and Conservation Coursera

Annual professional development at the National Institute for ComputerAssisted Reporting conference

Economics of Cuba 10 days in Cuba studying the economy and culture as a

capstone to a college course in March 2003
Activities
FuzzyBrew.com
blogger and web developer

I developed this homebrew and beer news website with two friends with whom
I brewed beer before we scattered. The website keeps Memphis appraised of the
brewing business in the region, covers beer-related events and writes with authority
about homebrewing. The site was featured in the book Food Lovers' Guide to
Memphis.

April 2010 to
present

West Virginia Press Association

Freedom of Information Act auditor

Conducted a FOIA audit at the Preston County Sheriff's Office, Board of

Education and County Commission

2005

Kearns Fellowship

Traveled to Budapest, Hungary, to cover the opening of the first Holocaust

museum in Eastern Europe for The Charleston Daily Mail.

2004

Boy Scouts of America

Eagle Scout

Held the positions of lifeguard, senior patrol leader and junior assistant
scoutmaster, quartermaster, assistant senior patrol leader

1996-2000

Various Skills

Expertise or familiarity with HTML/CSS, SQL, Access, Excel, FoxPro, Navicat, DocumentCloud,
GIS, ArcView, QGIS, Javascript, Quark, InDesign, Python, R-Studio, Wordpress
References
Available upon request