From USAToday.com come several articles that discuss the outcome of this most recent tally, along with the trends they highlight. Included are pieces on the general state of the US population, the shrinking of the nation’s capital, the growth of the Hispanic population in northern states, and an interactive map giving a comprehensive breakdown of Census 2000. Click on the following link to visit the site: Census 2000.
Journalistic “Tools of the Trade” for the 21st Century
- General Systems Theory is used to describe
- the variables in a system, be it social, mechanical, or economic;
- the relationships among those variables;
- the boundaries of the system;
- the goals of the system and;
- the system's capacity to learn and adapt to changing factors. General Systems Theory forces a journalist to look deeply at a situation or phenomenon.
- Statistical Analysis is often the initial tool used to describe phenomena in a systematic manner. It is used to measure patterns and change, so that journalist must be able to understand averages, percentages, and proportions, they must also understand correlations, lines of regression, and multi-variant analysis.
- Graphical Presentation of statistical and geographical data (often coupled with some sort of statistical analysis) is an excellent technique for recognizing and identifying phenomena and relationships. Furthermore, visual displays of data can not only reveal unseen patterns and connections, they can serve as a bridge between high-level quantitative analysis and the public.
- Simulation Theory is used to describe a broad range of tools from game theory to Chaos Theory and Complexity Studies, as well as applications such as "SIMcity," a role-playing computer game that began as a child's toy and has now evolved into a tool for examining the way urban systems work.