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Mirko Lorenz • Information Architect DATA-DRIVEN JOURNALISM FIVE WS (AND ONE H) AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ROUNDTABLE • A‘DAM • AUGUST 24, 2010
Mirko Lorenz • Information Architect
DATA-DRIVEN JOURNALISM
FIVE WS (AND ONE H)AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ROUNDTABLE • A‘DAM • AUGUST 24, 2010
WELCOME!WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL THE TIME?
THE NEXT 10 MINUTES
STATUS OF DATA-DRIVEN JOURNALISM?MANY QUESTIONS, FEW ANWSERS YET
‣ Basics: Do we all mean the same?
‣ Debate: Where do we agree, where do we not agree?
‣ Future: What is the opportunity, what keeps us from doing it?
‣ Work: Which elements are missing from our discussions?
TODAY: WHAT IS THERE TO LEARN?
DATA-DRIVEN JOURNALISM: JUST ANOTHER BUZZWORD OR A BIG OPPORTUNITY?
MAIN GOALS TODAY:
‣ Experiences so far
‣ Examples of work
‣ Discussion & Debate
Can we describe what is there to learn?
WHAT? DATA IN THE HOUSE
‣ DATA-DRIVEN JOURNALISM IS A WORKFLOW, WHERE DATA IS THE BASIS FOR ANALYSIS, VISUALIZATION AND STORYTELLING
‣ Foggy: Platforms, Tools, Formats, Business Models, Financing
EXTERNALDATA
PASTJOURNALIST ALWAYS WORKED WITH SOME
DATA, BUT TOOK A LOT FOR GRANTED
FUTUREUSE DATA FOR GOOD/TRUE/COMPELLING REPORTING
OPENDATA NOT SO-OPEN
DATA
JOURNALISM
FILTEREDDATA
JOURNALISM
WHAT?UNSOLVED QUESTIONS WHAT DDJ MIGHT BE
‣ How can the results of DDJ become really relevant?
„Don‘t be the noise in the middle“ (Brian Storm, mediastorm)
‣ What insight are we looking for?
Are we solving a puzzle or a mystery? (Gladwell on Enron)http://www.gladwell.com/2007/2007_01_08_a_secrets.html
‣ Do we understand our readers/users perception of the facts?
Article: „How Facts backfire“, Boston.comhttp://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/07/11/how_facts_backfire/
DATA-DRIVEN JOURNALISM = A PROCESS
DATA
FILTER
VISUALIZE
STORY
VALUE TO PUBLIC
WHY?JOURNALISM NEEDS A FUTURE
‣ THE OLD MODEL HAS FALLEN APART, CAN DDJ BE THE RESCUE?
‣ A SUGGESTION: ARE WE IN THE TRUST BUSINESS?
BEING THERE WHEN PEOPLE MAKE IMPORTANT DESCISIONS?
‣ TRUSTABLE SERVICE, NO PRIVACY INVASION:BUYING A HOUSE, A CAR, AN INSURANCE,...
‣ ANALYZE PRESENT CHALLENES, IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES
‣ DETECT SCAMS AND FRAUD
‣ HELP MANAGEMENT/POLITICS TO DO THE RIGHT THING
FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
REDUCE TIME TO SEARCH
ENABLE DECISIONS
BE TRUSTABLE
DETECT ANOMALIES EARLIER
MINIMIZE NEED TO REFORMAT
HOW?How can we combine all the many pieces of this?
Platforms
‣ Holovaty/EveryBlock --> Insights on how to structure our material better
‣ Mark-Down Editors, Metadata,...
Data
‣ How could a tool stack for DDJ look like?
Visualization
‣ A flood of creative examples, no platform
Storytelling
‣ Give them something they will remember
Business Models
‣ Subscription, Advertising, Sales
‣ How can DDJ offerings get to the top of a Google search?
Training
‣ Journalists=programmers or groups of specialists?
WHO?CAN ALL JOURNALISTS DO THIS?
‣ Do journalists need to become programmers?
‣ Or will we have teams of specialists?
‣ Doubting that journalist can contribute to change?
WHO?ONE EXAMPLE OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE
‣ Alexander L. Holley, Journalist, Engineer (1832 – 1882)
‣ Deep interest in technology: Railways, machinery, iron making
‣ Trained as an engineer, skilled writer
‣ Foreign technical correspondent for the New York Times
‣ Went through many troubles and times of economic crisis
‣ Bought the rights to the Bessemer process for steel making in 1863, perfected it, developed floor plans for new steel works for Carnegie Steel and others.
‣ Changed the world
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Lyman_Holley
EJC • DATA-DRIVEN JOURNALISM
Curriculum
Produce
Present
Provide
Results orientated,understand journalist interests
Data Mining, Filtering, Modeling,Other Story Elements
Format, Visualisation, Presentation
Deliver information to users and organizations in usable formats
Text
WHERE?EVERYWHERE
