[ddj] Defining datajournalism

Thu Oct 13 14:47:12 UTC 2011

Hi Lorenz,

Thanks for spreading the conversation in German!

I agree with you that it's better when data plays a real role in the story,
whatever the form. Now, stories made with CAR (or even stories with a couple
of figures in them) have been described as "datajournalism", as well as
serious games that didn't have anything to do with data proper. That's why I
proposed a distinction between data-driven journalism, that represents your
definition, and datajournalism, that stands for "innovative stuff in
journalism that involves computers".

Given how afraid traditional publishers are with all things digital, I
thought it might help to have a concept they wouldn't look down to.

Best

nicolas.
--
Datajournalist since 2007
nkb.fr <http://nkb.fr?m>
+336 50 57 53 80

On Thu, Oct 13, 2011 at 3:58 PM, Lorenz Matzat <matzat at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I wrote about this discussion a blog entry in German:
>
>
> http://www.datenjournalist.de/neues-von-der-definition-des-datenjournalismus/
>
> What I would like to add: For a data-article (as a product of
> datajournalism) - be it an interactive visualisation or whatever - I
> find the used data has to have a role in the story itself. Doing CAR or
> relying and researching in tables or numeric data is nothing new for
> journalism. And most articles etc. are using bits of numerical data or
> statistics - but that's not datajournalism.
>
> For me datajournalism is a journalistic product where the data plays a
> main role. Be it as the database for an app etc. or  the discussion or
> story about the data itself plays a significant role. And best is, when
> the underlying data is published as raw and open as possible alongside.
>
> So one question is, where does datajournalims start? Is CAR datajournalism?
>
> Lorenz
>
>
> Am 11.10.11 21:45, schrieb Tim McNamara:
> > Unstructured data are actually where I think journalists are able to
> > really excel. Leaks are their traditional fodder.
> >
> >
> > On 12 October 2011 05:12, marco Laucelli <mlaucelli at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> Hi all, sorry for the delay of my answer.
> >>
> >> Nicolas, I completely agree that getting close to real-time is a
> >> pan-journalisma topic. However my point was that the instrumentation of
> the
> >> world - producing mostly structured data - and the massive adoption of
> >> social/mobile networks by people - unstructured data - points out a good
> >> opportunity to get close to real-time. And, in my opinion, this is a
> very
> >> good opportunity to approach that pan-journalism challenge from d-driven
> >> journalism.
> >>
> >> I will try to write a proposal to include an unstructured data paragraph
> in
> >> the entry, and I'll share with all of you for feedback. Ok?
> >> Thanks a lot for your views and comments.
> >> Best regards,
> >> Marco.
> >>
> >>
> >> 2011/10/6 Nicolas Kayser-Bril <n.kayserbril at gmail.com>
> >>>
> >>> Marco,
> >>> Many thanks for your input.
> >>> There's no wonder we don't have the same definition: Scholars haven't
> been
> >>> able to agree on a universal definition for journalism for the past 50
> >>> years! (which is perfectly normal as Adrian Holovaty, Bob Woodward and
> the
> >>> anchor on Rossiya1 don't have anything but this name in common). That's
> why
> >>> I prefer using "information management".
> >>> Concerning the quest for real-time information, I believe it is a
> >>> pan-journalism issue. After I realized that the entry about journalism
> >>> didn't mention timeliness at all, I've added "in a timely fashion" at
> the
> >>> end of the definition ("Journalism is the practice
> >>> of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad
> >>> audience in a timely fashion.")
> >>> As for unstructured data, you're absolutely right that structuring
> >>> heterogeneous bits of data is part of data-driven journalism (say, when
> you
> >>> OCRize a scanned paper to obtain an XLS file). Do you want to add a
> >>> paragraph about it in the DDJ entry?
> >>> best
> >>> nkb.
> >>> --
> >>> Datajournalist since 2007
> >>> nkb.fr
> >>> +336 50 57 53 80
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Thu, Oct 6, 2011 at 5:41 PM, marco Laucelli <mlaucelli at gmail.com>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> Hi all,
> >>>> this discussion is very exciting to me, and I would be happy to get
> your
> >>>> feedback on the following, that is just a summary of my thoughts of
> what
> >>>> DDJournalism means to me. In the usual definitions of Data Journalism
> I've
> >>>> found, as those cited in your previous mails, there are at least two
> >>>> important aspects I find lacking:
> >>>>
> >>>> 1) Getting closer to real-time: As the technology is evolving the
> world
> >>>> is becoming more and more instrumented and interconnected, as a
> consequence
> >>>> there would be a large amount of data created and transmitted in
> real-time,
> >>>> involving interactions and transactions among people, devices and
> physical &
> >>>> logical entities. The ability of developing capabilities to monitor
> that
> >>>> data traffic and detect noticeable events - based on data - seems to
> be one
> >>>> of the future scopes of Data Journalism. In the future it seems to me
> >>>> important considering News Media and journalist being able to detect,
> >>>> contextualize and rapidly analyze data-events and translate them into
> >>>> interesting news. Very simple example of this could be traffic events,
> >>>> emergencies, etc... Some would be noticed and published by public and
> >>>> private entities, but the technical ability and the skills to do so
> >>>> independently should be  in my opinion - one of the objectives of
> future
> >>>> journalism.
> >>>>
> >>>> 2) Use of unstructured data: there is a tremendous focus - in what
> refers
> >>>> most common DDJournalism references - on structured data, and in
> particular
> >>>> on structured data coming from public entities (Open Data). It seems
> to me
> >>>> very important for the future DDJournalism being able to capture
> relevant
> >>>> and noticeable information from unstructured data and in particular
> from
> >>>> digital conversations such those being held in social networks. The
> ability
> >>>> of structuring that information, and combining it with structured data
> is
> >>>> crucial - in my opinion, again - to get complete insight of what is
> >>>> happening behind data. I think that any definition of DDJournalism
> should
> >>>> take into account seriously unstructured data.
> >>>>
> >>>> I've put my views on the different flavors of DD Journalism in a chart
> >>>> explaining the conceptual links between time-scales and the data
> sources for
> >>>> DD Journalims. I'm currently working on a definition of the underlying
> >>>> conceptual architecture - tech capabilities, processes & skills - to
> support
> >>>> those different flavors. I would really appreciate any feedback on
> this, and
> >>>> I'm completely open to collaborations for this purpose.
> >>>>
> >>>> Thanks in advance for your interest.
> >>>> Kind regards,
> >>>> Marco.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> 2011/10/6 Nicolas Kayser-Bril <n.kayserbril at gmail.com>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> #done
> >>>>> Changelog:
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Creation of entry Datajournalism
> >>>>> Complete overhaul and change of meaning of Database journalism
> >>>>> Creation of Structured journalism, which redirects to Database
> >>>>> journalism
> >>>>> Re-creation of the page Computer-assisted_reporting, which, in my
> >>>>> opinion should be merged with data-driven journalism
> >>>>> Proposal of a merger of Computational Journalism with data-driven
> >>>>> journalism
> >>>>> I've also tried to clarify and wikify the Data driven journalism
> entry,
> >>>>> but that'll take time.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> All contribution/feedback/edit war welcome!
> >>>>> nkb.
> >>>>> --
> >>>>> Datajournalist since 2007
> >>>>> nkb.fr
> >>>>> +336 50 57 53 80
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> On Thu, Oct 6, 2011 at 12:12 PM, Nicolas Kayser-Bril
> >>>>> <n.kayserbril at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Mirko, Tom,
> >>>>>> Many thanks for your feedback! It concurs to the idea of
> datajournalism
> >>>>>> as a byword for 'new stuff in information management', starting from
> data
> >>>>>> collection and how to envision a story to interactive apps.
> >>>>>> I'll include your points in the Wikipedia entry!
> >>>>>> Best
> >>>>>> nkb.
> >>>>>> --
> >>>>>> Datajournalist since 2007
> >>>>>> nkb.fr
> >>>>>> +336 50 57 53 80
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> On Thu, Oct 6, 2011 at 11:29 AM, Tom Kronenburg
> >>>>>> <tom.kronenburg at zenc.nl> wrote:
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> Dear Nicholas,
> >>>>>>> I will publish a report on open data and datajournalism on the
> >>>>>>> ePSIplatform.eu
> >>>>>>> In it, I recognize 4 types of activities that i consider
> >>>>>>> datajournalism. (naturally, with any definition you draw lines that
> are a
> >>>>>>> bit arbitrary)
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> " There are four basic types of data journalistic activities. All
> four
> >>>>>>> types can use PSI, and we will provide examples of how journalists
> used Open
> >>>>>>> Data to write their stories. Data journalists use (open) data
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> To discover newsworthy facts or stories [from data]
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> To discover trends hidden in [large] datasets
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> To compile datasets for further dissemination to the public.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> To create data visualisations."
> >>>>>>> 1: is what you might consider CAR (even though i understand that
> CAR
> >>>>>>> is as much an umbrella-word as data-journalism).
> >>>>>>> 2: is different from 1, because the timing is different. I'd say
> the
> >>>>>>> first category is about a single event, while 2 is about trends.
> >>>>>>> 3: is what you call "Database Journalism" or structured journalism.
> >>>>>>> 4: I have swept together all visualization/interaction stuff in one
> >>>>>>> category: "Infographics, dataviz, interactive viz (for me the same
> as
> >>>>>>> dataviz, although with different tools) - same goes for serious
> games".
> >>>>>>> So, basically, i think we agree on the main points that are in
> there.
> >>>>>>> I don't really know whether or not distinguishing category's 1 and
> 2
> >>>>>>> is important, but for me it feels like they are very different
> types of
> >>>>>>> activities. The first is 'searching' through datasets, combining
> single
> >>>>>>> lines, whereas trend discovery is much more about statistics,
> massive
> >>>>>>> computation and such.
> >>>>>>> When the report is published, i'll let you know.
> >>>>>>> Kind regards, Tom
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> Tom Kronenburg
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> Zenc | Focus op oplossingen
> >>>>>>> Alexanderstraat 18
> >>>>>>> 2514 JM Den Haag
> >>>>>>> KvK:  27190312
> >>>>>>> Tel:  +31 70 3626944 of +31 6 55778353
> >>>>>>> Fax:  +31 70 3921835
> >>>>>>> tom.kronenburg at zenc.nl
> >>>>>>> www.zenc.nl
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> Op 6 okt 2011, om 10:30 heeft Nicolas Kayser-Bril het volgende
> >>>>>>> geschreven:
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> Datajournalism has been widely used to unite several concepts and
> link
> >>>>>>> them to journalism. Among these are:
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> Computer assisted reporting and data-driven journalism, where
> >>>>>>> journalists make use of large databases to produce stories,
> >>>>>>> Infographics,
> >>>>>>> Data visualization,
> >>>>>>> Interactive visualization,
> >>>>>>> Serious games, in the sense that they take interaction a step
> further,
> >>>>>>> and
> >>>>>>> Database journalism or structured journalism, an information
> >>>>>>> management system where pieces of information are organized in a
> database
> >>>>>>> (as opposed to a traditional story-centric organizational
> structure).
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> I also plan to rework several entries, notably:
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>>>>> data-driven-journalism mailing list
> >>>>>>> data-driven-journalism at lists.okfn.org
> >>>>>>> http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/data-driven-journalism
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>>> data-driven-journalism mailing list
> >>>>> data-driven-journalism at lists.okfn.org
> >>>>> http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/data-driven-journalism
> >>>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> --
> >>>> @mlaucelli
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> data-driven-journalism mailing list
> >>>> data-driven-journalism at lists.okfn.org
> >>>> http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/data-driven-journalism
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> data-driven-journalism mailing list
> >>> data-driven-journalism at lists.okfn.org
> >>> http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/data-driven-journalism
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> @mlaucelli
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> data-driven-journalism mailing list
> >> data-driven-journalism at lists.okfn.org
> >> http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/data-driven-journalism
> >>
> >>
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > data-driven-journalism mailing list
> > data-driven-journalism at lists.okfn.org
> > http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/data-driven-journalism
>
> --
>
> http://www.datenjournalist.de
> http://www.opendatacity.de
>
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>
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>
> Lorenz Matzat
> Medienkombinat Berlin
> Köpenickerstraße 187/188
> 10997 Berlin
>
> Tel. (030) 7891 3457
> matzat at gmail.com
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
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