What Makes for Great Data Journalism

A content analysis of data journalism awards finalists 2012–2015

Bibliographic Data

ID12909620
AuthorsMary Lynn Young (University of British Columbia, corresponding author), Alfred Hermida (0000-0002-4632-3791, University of British Columbia), Johanna Fulda
Year2017
Volume12
Issue1
Pages115-135
Publication date2017-02-09
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournalism Practice (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1751-2786 • E-ISSN: 1751-2794
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17512786.2016.1270171
OpenAlexW2587752208
LanguageEN
Citations received74
References cited41

This study examines the quality of winners and finalists in major national and international data journalism awards. We completed a content analysis of data projects submitted by Canadian media to three journalism associations—the Online News Association, the Global Editors Network and the Canadian Association of Journalists—as far back as the first award in this category in 2012. Our research addresses how journalists executed what could be considered excellent data journalism. Our findings point to a lack of accepted standards regarding what is considered as excellence. The quality of the projects was limited by two key factors: the use of free online options such as Google Maps that were not easily customizable; and the number of practitioners who worked on the data projects largely within traditional journalism frameworks. The most used visual elements were dynamic maps, graphs and video. With respect to interactivity, all but one of the projects contained an interactive element. The most popular interaction techniques were inspection and filtering, considered entry-level techniques in the field of information visualization. These techniques suggest a need for collaborative interdisciplinary approaches to data journalism, and further study on the implications of tools such as Google Maps on practice

Citizen journalism · Data science · Element (criminal law · Excellence · Interactivity · Journalism · Media studies · Point (geometry · Political science · Public relations · Quality (philosophy · Sociology · Technical Journalism · The Internet · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Data Visualization and Analytics · Multimedia Communication and Technology · Radio, Podcasts, and Digital Media

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