About

EarthToBobby

… this site:

I have a Web site. That means I should talk about something.

What I’d like to do: My goal here eventually is to start a discussion about data research and visualization and their uses in daily newspaper reporting. The journalism world gets smaller, but the tools available to journalists broaden and get more technical — and they’ll have to learn how to use them. And sometimes I’ll just add my daily observations about the world. I welcome comments, suggestions and submissions for topics and examples of data and geospatial research in the news.

What this is really: For the most part, this site serves as a holding place for things that I dabble with: Web projects, experiments, software and Open Source code that I try to learn. Most of it doesn’t stay up for very long, sometimes things go unfinished, weeks go by. If you see something that needs my attention or correction, don’t panic — send me a note. I appreciate it.

… me:

I am a newspaper journalist-turned Internet technologist, data researcher, and MarComm strategist. I have spent the last 18 years working various roles in the newspaper journalism business: reporter, editor, Web and multimedia producer, and GIS analyst. I have a bachelors degree in journalism and a masters in GIS, both from Arizona State University where I also teach as a faculty associate in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

I love world travel, SCUBA diving, mountain biking, desert hiking, GPS, GIS, road trips, backpacking, technology, spicy food, PBS, foreign films, new places, the Sonoran sun, the Mexican moon, ocean waves, futbol, dogs, anything death-defying, deadlines, working hard, staying up too late, getting up too early, and good, strong coffee.

That’s me.

But for you, I am available for employment and freelance. If your organization needs an experienced journalist who can:

- Help you communicate to the public and the press via traditional means, the Internet and social media.
- Cut through technical jargon to help you plan and build your Web site, produce multimedia, and strategize communications.
- Perform data analysis and draw you a map.

Then, I can be found via Twitter/earthtobobby and LinkedIn, or contacted using the form below.