book

The Data Journalism Handbook

by Jonathan Gray, Lucy Chambers, Liliana Bounegru

July 2012

Beginner to intermediate

240 pages

6h 40m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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The Data Journalism Handbook
Preface
For the Great UnnamedContributorsWhat This Book Is (And What It Isn’t)Conventions Used in This BookSafari® Books OnlineHow to Contact Us
1. Introduction
What Is Data Journalism?Why Journalists Should Use DataWhy Is Data Journalism Important?Filtering the Flow of DataNew Approaches to StorytellingLike Photo Journalism with a LaptopData Journalism Is the FutureNumber-Crunching Meets Word-SmithingUpdating Your Skills SetA Remedy for Information AsymmetryAn Answer to Data-Driven PRProviding Independent Interpretations of Official InformationDealing with the Data DelugeOur Lives Are DataA Way to Save TimeAn Essential Part of the Journalists’ ToolkitAdapting to Changes in Our Information EnvironmentA Way to See Things You Might Not Otherwise SeeA Way To Tell Richer StoriesSome Favorite ExamplesDo No Harm in the Las Vegas SunGovernment Employee Salary DatabaseFull-Text Visualization of the Iraqi War Logs, Associated PressMurder MysteriesMessage MachineChartballData Journalism in PerspectiveComputer-Assisted Reporting and Precision JournalismData Journalism and Computer-Assisted ReportingData Journalism Is About Mass Data Literacy
2. In The Newsroom
The ABC’s Data Journalism PlayOur TeamWhere Did We Get the Data From?What Did We Learn?The Big Picture: Some IdeasData Journalism at the BBCMake It PersonalSimple ToolsMining The DataUnderstanding An IssueTeam OverviewHow the News Apps Team at the Chicago Tribune WorksBehind the Scenes at the Guardian DatablogData Journalism at the Zeit OnlineHow to Hire a HackerHarnessing External Expertise Through HackathonsFollowing the Money: Data Journalism and Cross-Border CollaborationOur Stories Come As CodeKaas & Mulvad: Semi-Finished Content for Stakeholder GroupsProcesses: Innovative IT Plus AnalysisValue Created: Personal and Firm Brands and RevenueKey Insights of This ExampleBusiness Models for Data Journalism
3. Case Studies
The Opportunity GapA Nine Month Investigation into European Structural Funds1. Identify who keeps the data and how it is kept2. Download and prepare the data3. Create a database4. Double-checking and analysisThe Eurozone MeltdownCovering the Public Purse with OpenSpending.orgFinnish Parliamentary Elections and Campaign Funding1. Find data and developers2. Brainstorm for ideas3. Implement the idea on paper and on the Web4. Publish the dataElectoral Hack in Realtime (Hacks/Hackers Buenos Aires)What Data Did We Use?How Was It Developed?ProsConsImplicationsData in the News: WikiLeaksMapa76 HackathonThe Guardian Datablog’s Coverage of the UK RiotsPhase One: The Riots As They HappenedPhase Two: Reading the RiotsIllinois School Report CardsHospital BillingCare Home CrisisThe Tell-All TelephoneWhich Car Model? MOT Failure RatesBus Subsidies in ArgentinaWho Worked on the Project?What Tools Did We Use?Citizen Data ReportersThe Big Board for Election ResultsCrowdsourcing the Price of Water
4. Getting Data
A Five Minute Field GuideStreamlining Your SearchBrowse Data Sites and ServicesAsk a ForumAsk a Mailing ListJoin Hacks/HackersAsk an ExpertLearn About Government ITSearch AgainWrite an FOI RequestYour Right to DataWobbing Works. Use It!Case Study 1: Farm SubsidyCase Study 2: Side EffectsCase Study 3: Smuggling DeathGetting Data from the WebWhat Is Machine-Readable Data?Scraping Websites: What For?What You Can and Cannot ScrapeTools That Help You ScrapeHow Does a Web Scraper Work?The Anatomy of a Web PageAn Example: Scraping Nuclear Incidents with PythonThe Web as a Data SourceWeb ToolsWeb Pages, Images, and VideosEmailsTrendsCrowdsourcing Data at the Guardian DatablogHow the Datablog Used Crowdsourcing to Cover Olympic TicketingUsing and Sharing Data: the Black Letter, the Fine Print, and Reality
5. Understanding Data
Become Data Literate in Three Simple Steps1. How was the data collected?Amazing GDP growthCrime is always on the riseWhat you can do2. What’s in there to learn?Risk of Multiple Sclerosis doubles when working at nightOn average, 1 in every 15 Europeans totally illiterateWhat you can do3. How reliable is the information?The sample size problemDrinking tea lowers the risk of strokeWhat you can doTips for Working with Numbers in the NewsBasic Steps in Working with DataKnow the Questions You Want to AnswerCleaning Messy DataData May Have Undocumented FeaturesThe £32 Loaf of BreadStart With the Data, Finish With a StoryData StoriesData Journalists Discuss Their Tools of ChoiceUsing Data Visualization to Find Insights in DataUsing Visualization to Discover InsightsLearn how to visualize dataAnalyze and interpret what you seeDocument your insights and stepsTransform dataWhich Tools to UseAn Example: Making Sense of US Election Contribution DataWhat To Learn From ThisGet the Source Code
6. Delivering Data
Presenting Data to the PublicTo Visualize or Not to Visualize?Using Motion GraphicsTelling the WorldPublishing the DataOpening Up Your DataStarting an Open Data PlatformMaking Data HumanOpen Data, Open Source, Open NewsAdd A Download LinkKnow Your ScopeHow to Build a News AppWho Is My Audience and What Are Their Needs?How Much Time Should I Spend on This?How Can I Take Things to the Next Level?Wrapping UpNews Apps at ProPublicaVisualization as the Workhorse of Data JournalismTip 1: Use small multiples to quickly orient yourself in a large datasetTip 2: Look at your data upside down and sidewaysTip 3: Don’t assumeTip 4: Avoid obsessing over precisionTip 5: Create chronologies of cases and eventsTip 6: Meet with your graphics department early and oftenTips For PublicationUsing Visualizations to Tell StoriesSeeing the Familiar in a New WayShowing Change Over TimeComparing ValuesShowing Connections and FlowsDesigning With DataShowing HierarchyBrowsing Large DatabasesEnvisioning Alternate OutcomesWhen Not To Use Data VisualizationDifferent Charts Tell Different TalesData Visualization DIY: Our Top ToolsGoogle Fusion TablesTableau PublicGoogle Spreadsheet ChartsDatamarketMany EyesColor BrewerAnd Some MoreHow We Serve Data at Verdens GangNumbersNetworksMapsText MiningConcluding NotesPublic Data Goes SocialEngaging People Around Your Data
About the Authors
Colophon

Overview

When you combine the sheer scale and range of digital information now available with a journalist’s "nose for news" and her ability to tell a compelling story, a new world of possibility opens up. With The Data Journalism Handbook, you’ll explore the potential, limits, and applied uses of this new and fascinating field.

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