Data journalism

Not to be confused with Data driven journalism or Database journalism.

Data journalism is a journalism specialty reflecting the increased role that numerical data is used in the production and distribution of information in the digital era. It reflects the increased interaction between content producers (journalist) and several other fields such as design, computer science and statistics. From the point of view of journalists, it represents "an overlapping set of competencies drawn from disparate fields".[1]

Data journalism has been widely used to unite several concepts and link them to journalism. Some see these as levels or stages leading from the simpler to the more complex uses of new technologies in the journalistic process.[2]

Designers are not always part of the process, according to author and data journalism trainer Henk van Ess [3] "Datajournalism can be based on any data that has to be processed first with tools before a relevant story is possible. It doesn't include visualisation per se"

Areas covered

  1. Computer assisted reporting and data-driven journalism, where journalists make use of large databases to produce stories.
  2. Infographics.
  3. Data visualization.
  4. Interactive visualization.
  5. Serious games, in the sense that they take interaction a step further.
  6. Database journalism or structured journalism, an information management system where pieces of information are organized in a database (as opposed to a traditional story-centric organizational structure).

Emergence as a concept

Although computer-assisted reporting has existed since the 1960s, the intensification of the relationships between journalists and computer-based technology led to the development of a broader concept. The first major news organisation to adopt the term is The Guardian, which launched its Datablog in March 2009.[4]

Although the paternity of the term is disputed, it is widely used since Wikileaks' Afghan War documents leak in July, 2010.[5]

The Guardian's coverage of the war logs took advantage of free data visualisation tools such as Google Fusion tables, another common aspect of data journalism. Facts are Sacred by Datablog editor Simon Rogers describes data journalism like this:

"Comment is free," wrote Guardian editor CP Scott in 1921, "but facts are sacred". Ninety years later, publishing those sacred facts has become a new type of journalism in itself: data journalism. And it is rapidly becoming part of the establishment.

Starting in the second half of 2010, data journalism has been regularly featured in conferences[6] and in academic journals [7] [8] .

Notes

  1. ↑ Thibodeaux, Troy (6 October 2011), 5 tips for getting started in data journalism, retrieved 11 October 2011
  2. ↑ Michelle Minkoff (24 March 2010). "Bringing data journalism into curricula".
  3. ↑ van Ess, Henk and Van der Kaa, Hille (2012). Handboek Datajournalistiek
  4. ↑ Rogers, Simon (28 July 2011), "Data journalism at the Guardian: what is it and how do we do it?", The Guardian (London), retrieved 25 October 2012
  5. ↑ Kayser-Bril, Nicolas (19 July 2011), Les données pour comprendre le monde (in French), retrieved 6 October 2011
  6. ↑ Alex Howard (21 December 2010). "The growing importance of data journalism". O'Reilly.
  7. ↑ Dreyfus, Suelette; Lederman, Reeva; Bosua, Rachelle; Milto, Simon (2011). "Can we handle the truth? Whistleblowing to the media in the digital era" (PDF). Global Media Journal 5.
  8. ↑ Powell, Alison (2011). "Emerging Issues in Internet Regulation: The Unstable Role of Wikileaks and Cyber-Vigilantism". RESEARCH HANDBOOK ON INTERNET GOVERNANCE.