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

Tag: Banks

  • The Hits and Misses of Indian Budget 2015

    The Hits and Misses of Indian Budget 2015

    With India having the world’s second largest population and the maximum number of poor people in the world, the Indian budget 2015 could be a turning point for the poor and the unemployed. While many have supported the budget, others have criticized it for being very ‘pro-corporate’. The Indian Budget has been more or less…

  • Banks’ Worst Nightmare – Carbanak Heist

    Banks’ Worst Nightmare – Carbanak Heist

    As banks slowly approach the age of digitalization they already seem to be facing tough challenges that are related to their own systems’ security. Banks have been victims to many cyber crimes but so far the crimes had been related to hacking into customers’ accounts. The shift from hacking customers’ accounts to hacking banks’ systems…

  • A Second Financial Crisis – are we in denial?

    A Second Financial Crisis – are we in denial?

    Six years of the financial turmoil has given a reason for many debates, research, arguments, discussions and even research work to many. To many nothing has really changed, in fact to them, we might be looking at something more serious in 2015. The question that is important is whether there is any truth to the…

  • Fed’s Stress tests for Banks – 29 Pass 1 Fail

    Fed’s Stress tests for Banks – 29 Pass 1 Fail

    On March 20, 2014, in the Fed’s Stress tests for Banks – 29 Passed and 1 Failed. While one bank was below par the rest seemed to have scored well. The real picture will be completed on March 26th,2014. Many raise questions on the stress test of banks. This article focuses on the basic key…