Digging into Crime Data to Inform News Coverage Across Beats

A Panel Discussion Organized by the Journalists’ Research at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center

February 4, 2026

Crime data can inform news reporting across many topics, from local government and legal affairs to economics and immigration. It’s important to know where to find reliable data and how to use it responsibly.
Panelists:
Jeffrey A. Butts is a research professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Executive Director of the John Jay Research and Evaluation Center.
Mensah M. Dean is a staff writer at The Trace covering policies and solutions related to gun violence in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.
George LeVines is the editor of The Trace’s Gun Violence Data Hub, planning and managing the bits, bytes and resources that make it possible.
Moderator: Clark Merrefield is the senior editor for economics and legal systems at The Journalist’s Resource.