Deena Zaidi


Data Journalist

Hi!

A data journalist with over 10 years of writing and reporting experience. I’ve had the pleasure of working for a local news paper in Seattle for about 2.5 years, after which I worked as a data visual journalist around two years in a leading broadcast news room in Canada.

I’ve written a wide range of stories— from hidden COVID-19 fatalities and rising Omicron numbers to immigration backlogs to soaring inflation and real estate markets. I am comfortable with mapping tools and have created multimedia interactives through ESRI’s GIS interface. These stories included “50 Years Later: Expulsion from Uganda” and “Canadian Urban Skies Turn Lethal for Migratory Birds“.

Prior to CTVNews, I wrote data-driven stories for, Seattle’s Puget Sound Business Journal (PSBJ)—one of the 44 markets of American City Business Journals. I also maintained the database for the local market which were published as weekly lists. The role involved fact-checking and in-depth research through surveys and phone calls. These lists ranked regional businesses on different metrics and were eventually compiled into the Annual Book of Lists.

Early in my career, I wrote extensively for various digital publications such as TheStreet.com, VentureBeat, Seeking Alpha, BuzzFeed, and Truthout with bylines in Reuters, Yahoo Finance, and MSN Money. I’ve authored a working paper on “The role of credit rating agencies in the Eurozone debt crisis” for Global Credit Review at the University of Singapore.

As a data journalist, I am always keen to look at the investigative side of stories where data is fundamental. My strength lies in data-driven stories that look beyond the numbers published in public records. I have solid experience in data analytics, with experience in mapping and creating interactive visuals.

I have an MSc. in International Banking and Finance from the University of Durham, England, and an MBA in Finance from ICFAI Business School, India. I hold a certificate in Data Analytics from Northeastern University and have been a part of a data bootcamp hosted by Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc. (IRE) in Seattle.

Feel free to browse through my portfolio.

stories written

years of experience

words written

Year: 2012

  • The LIBOR Fallout – A Big Bank scandal!

    The LIBOR Fallout – A Big Bank scandal!

    The year of 2012 saw one of the biggest scandals in the international banking industry that went unnoticed and was less talked about amidst the Euro Zone crisis. The reason this becomes big now and needs immediate attention is because it could be the beginning of a ‘Big Bank Scandal’. When banks start operating purely…

  • Survival of the Fittest: India and Foreign Direct Investment!

    Survival of the Fittest: India and Foreign Direct Investment!

    From 1980 to 2012, India’s economy has come a long way. The regulatory structure of the economy and many sectors have seen a vast change. Along with a prominent services sector, the financial markets have developed too.They are more cushioned than before to face triggers in the economy.Foreign exchange reserves are larger and exchange rates…

  • The Pain of Spain & The Spanish Hint !

    The Pain of Spain & The Spanish Hint !

    The suspense over whether Spain will seek a bailout is getting more clear as there are hints in the market that there could be a bailout deal. Madrid has successfully raised €4.6bn (£3.7bn) which is definitely oversubscribed and good news for Spain-a sign that investors are more confident the government can pay its bills.. The auction results…

  • Its all about Europe this week!

    Its all about Europe this week!

    The International Monetary Fund on Sunday strongly backed the European Central Bank’s plan to staunch the euro zone debt crisis with unlimited bond purchases, saying it was ready to get involved in designing and monitoring its implementation. The European Central Bank(ECB) announced its most promising plan on Thursday so as to ease the Euro-zone crisis…