Newspaper Supports Geographic Focus On Current Events with Esri’s Data-Rich Maps

From COVID-19 and elections to international political conflicts like the war in Ukraine, almost every current event and issue is shaped and framed by geographic elements. Many news organizations are realizing that taking a geographic approach to reporting stories using data-rich maps, helps to convey the complexity of these global challenges and reveal solutions that often seem elusive. United by a shared commitment to using open information to help better understand the world, The Washington Post, the Pulitzer Prize-winning capital-based news organization, and Esri, the global leader in geographic information system (GIS) technology, have joined to bring readers a US “Heat Tracker” as part of its climate reporting. Packed with Esri’s spatial data and analytics, the Heat Tracker demonstrates how The Washington Post can use maps as a focus to relate some of the most pressing issues of the day.

“At Esri, we support the journalistic mission of The Washington Post to inform the public and world about critical issues and we believe science, geography, and data can illuminate many of the world’s most daunting problems,” said Jack Dangermond, Esri founder and president. “We are excited to contribute our mapping technology to this initiative and potential future reporting, as geospatial insight is becoming a critical foundation to explanatory journalism that will transform the 21st-century newsroom.”

The Washington Post’s Heat Tracker is a series of maps showing where in the US extreme heat is occurring as well as expected trends. The location of these events is particularly important since depending on geography, certain areas may be affected differently than others due to factors like demographics or critical infrastructure.

“The Washington Post is committed to immersive storytelling and providing our audience with new ways to understand news and complex issues,” said Evan Bretos, Director of Special Initiatives and Partnerships for The Washington Post. “The development of the Heat Tracker in partnership with Esri, is a unique data-centered execution that highlights the implications of our changing climate on the most vulnerable areas across the US.”

Esri has a successful history of partnering with science and government to build mapping applications specifically for the purpose of understanding and finding solutions to climate issues, such as NOAA’s heat.gov. Additionally, launched by the Biden-Harris Administration, the Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) portal helps organizations plan and implement climate resiliency actions by using a screening tool to assess the vulnerability of counties, census tracts, and tribal lands.

“As leaders in our respective industries, we share a mission to inform through visualizations that are elevated and worthy of the demands and engagement of the next generation,” continued Dangermond. “By engaging in this timely collaboration, we hope to showcase the best of our collective expertise in ways that we are excited to accomplish with The Washington Post.”

Explore The Washington Post’s Heat Tracker.

About Esri

Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, helps customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Founded in 1969 in Redlands, California, USA, Esri software is deployed in hundreds of thousands of organizations globally, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofit institutions, and universities. Esri has regional offices, international distributors, and partners providing local support in over 100 countries on six continents. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial technology and analytics, Esri engineers the most innovative solutions that leverage a geographic approach to solving some of the world’s most complex problems by placing them in the crucial context of location. Visit us at esri.com.

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