After the Fukushima nuclear disaster a group of citizens decided to collect data about the radiation. The analysis of this information by the media is an example of data journalism, a way to tell stories where statistics and computer engineering mix.
Interviewing an excel database or learning how to speak with numbers doesn’t seem like traditional journalism. The reason is simple: it is not. It is called data driven journalism (DDJ) – translating data with public interest to audiences.
“Data journalism is about asking the important questions,” explained Holger Hank, Head of Digital Division at the Deutsche Welle Akademie. With the outburst of technology in newsrooms, this practice – even if it’s not new – has become a great tool for media specialists. Its secret lies in combining skills of traditional journalism with statistics, web development, computer engineering and design to tell original stories that are useful to people.
“Data doesn’t speak and we have to do the right questions. In order to make the right questions we have to know how to approach data”, said Giannina Segnini, a data journalist from Costa Rica. There are numerous examples: using container registration numbers to investigate organised crime or analysing databases to see how money is spend in communities.
Seek and you will find
One of the big challenges this type of journalism faces is non-accessible information.
“If you look at what’s available, it’s just the tip of the iceberg,” said Christian Kreutz from the German Open Knowledge Foundation. But the tip isn’t small. A lot of documents can be found online in government or organization’s sites.
“There’s a political movement trying to open data, and a lot of open software”, said Mirko Lorenz, an Information Architect from Germany. On the other hand, when data doesn’t exist or isn’t available an option is to build it. For example, in Japan after the 2011 earthquake, a group of citizens collected information about radiation in different communities, since they didn’t trust the official reports.
An opportunity for small media
Even though some of the best examples of DDJ come from big media organizations, this way of telling facts can be a great opportunity for small newsrooms. “It can be achieved at low cost”, stated Lorenz. Instead of ten people working on a story, one or two people can be asking questions to a data set.
According to Segnini, it’s easier to make change when you have a small newsroom. “This is not really about money, it’s not rocket science. It is more about the will to change things”.
Camila Salazar, Costa Rica
Photo by Suy Heimkhemra, Cambodia
