1 Introduction to data journalism

If you’re thinking about telling stories with data, you’re on a path where critical thinking about information is essential. Your role isn’t just to gather information; it involves comprehending how to collect, normalise, and analyse data to weave engaging stories.

Here’s a solid starting point, based on the traditional 5 Ws and a H that journalism students learn.

• Consider who created this data. Identifying the source is crucial for assessing its credibility.
• Ask what the data encompasses. Does it have all you need for your story?
• Consider when the data was last updated. Current data is key for relevance.
• Where does the data apply. The geographical context can significantly influence your narrative.
• Reflect on why this data matters for your story. What makes it the right choice?
• Lastly, plan how you’ll interrogate this data. What questions do you need to answer, and how will the data help you do that?

Data journalism and storytelling offers all of us the ability to learn how to access data and then “interview” that data to tell stories.

This data can be as varied as statistics about  stop and search to stats about the most popular dog names by zip code in New York.

You absolutely do not have to be a maths person to do data well! Data is about finding stories and telling stories and knowing which audience to tell them to.

You may also have heard of “open data” and these efforts represent a significant shift in the accessibility and transparency of information as they involve making a wide array of data freely available to the public, typically through online platforms.

This data is often provided by government entities, international organisations, research institutions, and non-profits, and it covers a vast range of topics from public finance and election results to environmental data and public health statistics.

For new journalists, open data is a treasure trove of information that can be used to inform and enrich your reporting. With little more than an internet connection open data gives you a foundation on which to build accurate, reliable, and compelling journalism.

With open data, you can:

Fact-checking: Use open data to verify facts, figures, and statements made by officials or other sources. pen data can be instrumental in investigative journalism, helping to uncover inefficiencies, corruption, or mismanagement in government and businesses.
Uncover new  angles: By analysing data sets, you can discover trends, patterns, and anomalies that might have otherwise gone unnoticed, leading to unique and original stories.
Visualise the stories: The ability to interpret and visualise data gives you the tools to tell complex stories in a more accessible and engaging way, often using tools like infographics and interactive maps.