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

Month: January 2015

  • The First Internet-Only Bank in China

    The First Internet-Only Bank in China

    State-owned banks have long dominated banking in China but China wants to do things differently now. The Chinese government wants improve its financial sector by creating more confidence and responsiveness towards private customers. China has lately seen a lot of changes in its banking system, which could see some big changes in Chinese banking sector…

  • Greece Exit (GREXIT) – A Boon Or A Bane?

    Greece Exit (GREXIT) – A Boon Or A Bane?

    By the end of 2014, Greece owed “troika”(European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission) €253.3bn. In 2014, many talks were doing the rounds of a possible exit of Greece from the Eurozone. With snap elections in January 2015, Greece is again put on a spot. There is a lot of speculation…

  • BANKING DEVELOPMENTS

    BANKING DEVELOPMENTS

    Banking Industry has evolved tremendously over a period of time. Nowadays, modern banking sector is doing away with its traditional methods and shifting focus to a more advanced and digitally connected network. While many countries are still struggling to get basic banking facilities, there are others that are growing not only in number but facing…

  • How far has BRICS come?

    How far has BRICS come?

    As emerging markets enter turmoil, questions regarding BRICS remain unanswered. China was known for being the second largest economy that could drive the asian markets towards infrastructural growth and development. But this year some troubling news from mostly all the emerging markets with Brazil’s debt being reduced to “junk” status. What started, as a pompous…