Why Data Journalism is Important

1.       Make sense of Mass Information

Having the skills to scrape, analyse, clean and present data allows journalists to present complicated and otherwise incomprehensible information in a clear way. It is an essential part of journalism to find material and present it to the public. Understanding data allows journalists to do this with large amounts of information, which would otherwise be impossible to understand.

2.       New Approaches to Storytelling

Able to create infographics and visualisations, data journalists can see and present information in a new and interesting way. Stories no longer need to be linear and based solely on text. Data can be grafted into a narrative which people can read visually. Interactive elements of data visualisations allow people to explore the information presented and make sense of it in their own way.

3.       Data Journalism is the Future

Understanding data now will put journalists ahead of the game. Information is increasingly being sourced and presented using data. Journalists who refuse to adapt to the modern, increasingly technological world will be unable to get the best stories, by-lines and scoops and their careers will suffer as a result.

4.       Save Time

No longer must journalists pore over spread-sheets and numbers for hours when there could be a simpler way to organise the information. Being technologically savvy and knowing the skills to apply to data sets can save journalists time when cleaning, organising and making sense of data. Not making mistakes due to lack of knowledge can also save a journalist time.

5.       A way to see things you might otherwise not see

Understanding large data sets can allow journalists to see significant information that they might otherwise have overlooked. Equally, some stories are best told using data visualisations as this enables people to see things that they might otherwise have been unable to understand.

 6.       A way to tell richer stories

Combining traditional methods of storytelling with data visualisations, infographics, video or photographs, creates richer, more interesting and detailed stories.

7.       Data is an essential part of Journalism

Many journalists do not see data as a specialist and separate area of journalism, but an interwoven, essential and important element of it. It is not there to replace traditional methods of finding information, but to enhance them. The journalist that can combine a good contact book and an understanding of data will be invaluable in the future.