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

Category: Infographics

  • The Cost of The Arab Spring – Was it all worth it?

    The Cost of The Arab Spring – Was it all worth it?

    The Arab Spring was the second strongest historical wave in the Middle East since the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. There are debates about it being a success or a failure. In 2014, we look back to analyse whether the revolution was actually worth all the losses of lives or were these sacrifices an awakening…

  • The Journey Of Transition – India & China in comparison to USA

    The Journey Of Transition – India & China in comparison to USA

    This article focuses on three economies that have been discussed a lot lately : India, China & USA. India and China are considered as emerging economies but have issues like population and poverty. We compare India & China to USA using IMF reports released in April, 2014 and information provided in Index of Economic Freedom,…

  • Will Indian Markets Rise with Modi?

    Will Indian Markets Rise with Modi?

    2014 witnesses general election in nine phases in India.  Of course, no party ever wins with a majority and usually alliances form the government. However, the battle  amongst Indian National Congress (Congress), Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) & debutant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has created headlines. Indian markets keep a close watch on may 16 since…