Author: A Duraisamy
Print and online newspapers require data journalists who can interpret information and uncover stories, as well as data editors and graphics journalists who design charts and graphs to improve readers’ understanding
Modern technology has made even the smallest actions of modern life possible to quantify, store and search, creating enormous amounts of data. Government agencies, courts, corporations and regulators generate far more documents than any newsroom could read in a lifetime.
However, endless amounts of data become meaningful only when they are organised and analysed.
Newspapers and fact-checking agencies increasingly need specialists capable of analysing vast amounts of data and extracting relevant facts from it. The career built around this skill is called data journalism.
Why newsrooms are hiring
With misinformation spreading like wildfire online, everyone with access to the internet can post information, but few people stop to question it. Incorrect information can be forwarded to hundreds of people, while a correction, if it reaches them at all, may reach only a fraction of that number, long after the damage has been done. In such a situation, having solid facts to rely on is important. Information from a known and verifiable source is essential.
The practice of comparing a claim with available facts comes under the umbrella of data journalism. Journalists verify claims by comparing them with official records and checking viral figures against original data. Some newsrooms have dedicated desks working full-time to perform such tasks. These skills are also valued in research institutions, think tanks and civil society organisations, as the validity of an argument depends on the evidence supporting it.
What employers expect
A data journalist is like a detective trying to make sense of data. A data journalist starts with a dataset and an interesting question, then spends hours analysing the information until a relevant and newsworthy pattern emerges.
For this profession, it is important to know how to use spreadsheets such as Excel or Google Sheets, along with tools such as pivot tables and filters. For more advanced projects, knowledge of SQL and programming languages such as Python or R is necessary. Familiarity with data visualisation tools such as Datawrapper and Tableau is also useful for creating charts, maps and dashboards. However, the most important skill is the ability to convert patterns identified in numbers into a well-written story that even readers with no interest in spreadsheets can understand.
Which degree helps
No particular qualification guarantees entry into this field. A degree in Journalism and Mass Communication can help, but technical skills are equally necessary. Students of statistics, economics, mathematics and computer science can benefit from their knowledge of numbers and statistical analysis. Many students pursue a bachelor’s degree in one discipline, followed by a postgraduate diploma in journalism or online courses in data analysis.
Data journalism skills can also help professionals analyse stock market movements and suggest potentially safer investment portfolios to readers.
Where a career can go
Both print and online newspapers require data journalists who can interpret information and uncover stories, as well as data editors and graphics journalists who design charts and graphs to improve reader’s understanding. Television news channels also feature data-driven stories and explainers, particularly around elections and budgets.
Fact-checking agencies require professionals who can verify claims. Research institutes, think tanks and non-profit organisations hire individuals who can translate research findings into reports. Freelancing is another avenue.
In most cases, people begin their careers as general reporters or researchers and gradually transition into specialist roles as they develop expertise in the technical aspects of the profession.
Getting started
Students interested in this career path can begin with a dataset and a simple question about water supply or road accidents in a particular area. It is always useful to have a simple project in one’s portfolio. Learning Python or R can wait until the work demands it.
Data journalism rests on an old newsroom habit: asking where a claim comes from. With so much data and so much misinformation in circulation, people who can provide answers backed by evidence are unlikely to run short of work.
The writer is Dean, Faculty of Science and Humanities, SRM; Views presented are personal.