Data journalism refers in part to the analysis of public/government (and other) records. Think of it as an extension of traditional investigative reporting, with emphasis on using public documents in a database or spreadsheet format.
This is largely a skills course with a heavy hands-on component. Upon successfully completing this course, students will feel comfortable examining records using a spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel primarily) and a database manager (Microsoft Access/SQL), as well as other tools for analysis. You will study data visualization, what works and what doesn’t, and do a little bit of data viz yourself. You also will be expected to think like an experienced journalist by evaluating information critically and applying what you learn to news stories.
Data journalism lays the foundation for more traditional, shoe-leather reporting in your stories. It can provide deep insights into an issue and reveal interesting patterns. Done properly, it can also raise your level of expertise as a journalist by allowing you to substitute anecdotes with solid data analysis. An ever-growing number of journalists use data journalism techniques on the beat to make their everyday reporting better and to give stories context. You will learn how to make data journalism relevant to daily reporting as well as for the big investigative projects.
In the words of Brant Houston, a leader in teaching data journalism worldwide: “For years, journalists were like animals in a zoo, waiting to be fed pellets of information by the keepers who are happy for journalists to stay in their Luddite cages.” For you data journalists, this ends now.