Data Journalism

Being a journalism student, I know that it is my job to supply to the public the latest news and information. As well as this, it is also my job to give it to them in a particular way that everyone can understand. This opens up a lot of new possibilities when you combine the traditional way to find information with the sheer scale and range of digital information now available. 

Journalists are now using graphics in order to provide information. This is because it makes the information easier to read and digest, as well as making it more interesting, too.

An example of data journalism?

• School League Timetables

School league timetables use the data published annually by the government. Readers are able to find their local schools by entering postcodes. Education journalists then work with the development team in order to trawl through the data for stories ahead of publication.

Infographics are graphic visual representations of information, knowledge or data intended to present complex information quickly and clearly. 

 

Click here to enlarge image.

The above image shows an infographic on why people use graphics within journalism. 

The only disadvantage of graphics used within data journalism is whether or not your learning type allows you to learn quickly and easily from graphics, interactives and sometimes games. I believe that data journalism is a big hit and should be used more widely along news and information web sites in order for people to fully understand the details they are reading. 

www.datajournalismhandbook.org

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infographic