If confusion is the first step to knowledge, FOIA users must be geniuses. In some ways, the FOIA is as impenetrable as it is helpful, but a new resource wants to change all that:FOIA Wiki, which launched in beta today.

Check out the ful story: http://www.cjr.org/business_of_news/foia_request_wiki.php

Journalists are often thought of as being “word people” and even the most diligent reporter can blanche when faced with a thicket of figures. However, sidestepping or downplaying numbers can be perilous.

http://journalistsresource.org/tip-sheets/foundations/math-for-journali…

The Texas Demographic Center functions as a focal point for the production, interpretation, and distribution of demographic information for Texas, producing and disseminating population estimates and projections for Texas, as well as other demographic information, including many resources journalists can use and localize.

Recent reports and information available on the site include aging in Texas, changes in poverty and income levels and the need for affordable housing. 

http://osd.texas.gov/

Even if you are not working on a big investigation, a basic understanding of financial statements is essential for any reporter. They are a reliable source for news stories, and not just on the business beat.

By PRISCILLA LOEBENBERG

Texas Press Association (originally published Dec. 2015 in the Texas Press Messenger)

Police and fire radio scanners have long been a staple of newsrooms. However, over the last decade, police and fire departments and other emergency responders have been upgrading from traditional analog transmissions to digital systems. The change has left some journalists wondering how to follow along and if their newspaper should purchase an expensive digital scanner.

Google Translate: How do I use Google Translate on-the-go?

Source: Google Translate: How do I use Google Translate on-the-go? - YouTube

Texas Water Resources Institute – Texas A&M

Groundwater Arsenic Contamination – Bureau of Economic Geology – University of Texas at Austin

Texas Center for Environmental Quality – Drinking Water

Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Arsenic

Sixteen tools to increase your app-titude in 2016

Source: Quill: Sixteen tools to increase your app-titude in 2016 | Society of Professional Journalists | Improving and protecting journalism since 1909

Google's Accelerated Mobile Pages Is Launching Feb. 24

Source: Official Launch Date for Google AMP Confirmed | Digital - AdAge

The IBM Watson Speech to Text service

Source: Speech to Text