Evening Must-Read: Paul Krugman: Data as Slogan, Data as Substance

Paul Krugman: Data as Slogan, Data as Substance: “what would real data-driven reporting look like?…

Charles Gaba’s ACASignups.net. Gaba, a website developer, realized that nobody was systematically keeping track of enrollment data for Obamacare, and has turned himself into one-stop shopping…. And he really fills a need: when you read news reports on Obamacare, you can tell right away which reporters have been reading Gaba and know what’s happening and which reporters are relying solely on official announcements–or, worse, dueling political spin. For the record, Gaba’s take on the program so far is fairly optimistic: he projects 6.3 million… by March 31…. The main point is that he’s filling a niche by using a lot more data than the mainstream media. That’s what we thought Nate Silver would be doing, and maybe he eventually will. But for now, Gaba is the model.