making data journalism work

Making the most of data journalism

Paul BradshawOxford, June 2012

Thursday, 21 June 2012

1967


https://vimeo.com/5337314Thursday, 21 June 2012

https://vimeo.com/5337314

https://vimeo.com/5337314

2005


“Each weekday, my computer program goes to the Chicago Police Department's website and gathers all crimes reported in Chicago.”

Adrian Holovaty


Opening up data


2012?


Themes

• What just happened? 1967-2012• From data to knowledge: the data

journalism process• Pitfalls and preparation


What just happened?


“The Tribune’s more than three dozen interactive databases, collectively have drawn three times as many page views as the site’s stories. [75% of traffic]”

http://bit.ly/dj2dmz


Times film genres

digitised? = data


the process


Start with the data and look for the stories? (MPs’ expenses)Or start with a lead and look for the data?

Passive vs active data journalism


Official sources: ONS, data.gov.uk, etc.Secondary FOI: disclosure logs, WDTK, HansardReports and research: Google alertsUnofficial sources: Scraperwiki, OpenlyLocal, OpenCorporates, OpenCharities, etc.

Compile: Reactive


Communities, mailing lists, groupsAdvanced search: Site:gov.uk (etc), Filetype:pdf (etc) Tip: database contents are invisibleScrapers - tools, write or ask

Compile: Proactive


Start with a question

How does policy affect people? Who is top? Bottom?Time: what has happened since last year? 10 years ago? Space: Trends in fields/regions?What is the context?


=ImportHTML("http://bob.com/mytable", "table", 1)=ImportXML("http://backtweets.com/search.xml?itemsperpage=100&...”)=ImportFeed("http://search.twitter.com/search.atom?rpp=20&page=1&q="&A2)

Spreadsheet formulae


Data health

warning!

Pitfalls and preparation


Image by Lauren York on the Data Journalism Blog

http://onlinejournalismblog.com/2012/04/19/when-data-goes-bad/Thursday, 21 June 2012

http://onlinejournalismblog.com/2012/04/19/when-data-goes-bad/

http://onlinejournalismblog.com/2012/04/19/when-data-goes-bad/


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNQteT9Bu2w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNQteT9Bu2w

http://delicious.com/paulb/benfordslawThursday, 21 June 2012

http://delicious.com/paulb/benfordslaw

http://delicious.com/paulb/benfordslaw

http://junkcharts.typepad.com/junk_charts/trifecta-checkup/




Porn, tampons and duck houses


Make it socialThursday, 21 June 2012

Tools

Google Docs or Excel - spreadsheets, charts and fusion tables Google Refine - simple, powerful data cleaning and mixingManyEyes, Tableau - visualisationfreeDive - create a searchable database for usersOutwit Hub - simple scrapingScraperwiki - learn programming!


Websites

National statistics and govt department releasesLocal and global open data initiativesFlowingData, Information is BeautifulGuardian Datablog, EagereyesJunkcharts, WSJ’s Numbers Guy; BBC’s More Or Less


Books

Bradshaw & Rohumaa - Online Journalism HandbookEJC - Data Journalism HandbookDarrell Huff - How To Lie With Statistics Blastland & Dilnot - The Tiger That Isn'tDonna Wong - The WSJ Guide to Information GraphicsBrian Suda - A Practical Guide to Designing with Data


...but the most important thing: PLAY.

Be curious. Start with a question, not a technical challenge.Pick up the phone. Ask experts where to get information, what jargon is used, etcIf the challenge is too complex, do something more simple Join communities, listen, and ask for help.


Questions?Thursday, 21 June 2012

Links at delicious.com/paulb/anox2012@paulbradshaw

onlinejournalismblog.comhelpmeinvestigate.com

slideshare.net/onlinejournalistlinkedin.com/in/onlinejournalist


making data journalism work

Education

data journalism bloghttp

powerful data cleaning

tools google docs

fusion tables google

simple join communities

eagereyes junkcharts

wsj guide

practical guide