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DATA JOURNALISTS HAVE AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN HELPING TO DECREASE THE BARRIERS TO UNDERSTANDING AND INTERROGATING DATA

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DATA JOURNALISTS HAVE AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN
HELPING TO DECREASE THE BARRIERS TO
UNDERSTANDING AND INTERROGATING DATA
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American.
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
With the aid of allowing everybody to drill down into data resources and find data that is relevant
to them, as well as to affirm assertions and challenge commonly received assumptions, data
journalism effectively represents the mass democratisation of sources, tools, techniques, and
methodologies that have been previously utilized by professionals—whether investigative
reporters, social scientists, statisticians, analysts, or other specialists. While currently quoting
and linking to information sources is specific to data journalism, we're moving closer to a world
wherein data is seamlessly integrated into the fabric of media. Data journalists have an
essential role in helping to decrease the barriers to understanding and interrogating data, and
increasing the data literacy of their readers on a mass scale.
In the meantime, the nascent community of individuals who call themselves data reporters is
basically distinct from the more mature auto community. Hopefully in the future, we will see
stronger ties between these two communities, in much the same way that we see new NGOs
and citizen media groups like ProPublica and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism work hand
in hand with traditional news media on investigations. While the data journalism community may
have more innovative approaches delivering data and presenting stories, the deeply analytical
and critical approach of the auto community is something that data journalism could truly learn
from.
The ABC’s Data Journalism Play Now in its seventieth year, the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation is Australia’s national public broadcaster. Annual funding is around AUS$1bn,
which delivers seven radio networks, 60 local radio stations, three digital television services, a
new international television service, and an online platform to deliver this ever-expanding
offering of digital and user-generated content. At last count, there were in excess of 4,500 full-
time equivalent staff, and nearly 70% of them produce content.
We are a national broadcaster fiercely proud of our independence—because although funded
by the government—we are separated at arm’s length by law. Our traditions are independent
public service journalism. The ABC is regarded as the most trusted news organization in the
country.
These are exciting times, and under a managing director—the former newspaper executive
Mark Scott—content makers at the ABC have been encouraged to, as the company mantra puts
it, be ‘agile’. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
But one initiative today designed to encourage this has been a competitive workforce pitch for
money to develop multi-platform projects. That is how the ABC’s first ever data journalism
project was conceived. Sometime early in 2010, I wandered into the pitch session to stand with
three senior ‘ideas’ people with my idea. I’d been chewing it over for some time, greedily lapping
up the data journalism that the now legendary Guardian data journalism blog was providing, and
that was only for starters. It was my argument that no doubt within five years the ABC would
have its own data journalism unit. It was inevitable, I opined. But the question was how are we
going to get there, and who’s going to start.
For those readers unfamiliar with the ABC, imagine a vast bureaucracy built up over 70 years.
Its primary offering was always radio and television. With the advent of online in the last decade,
this content offering unfurled into text, stills, and a degree of interactivity previously unimagined.
The online space was forcing the ABC to rethink how it cut the cake (money) and reconsider
what kind of cake it was baking (content). It is, of course, a work in progress.
But something else was happening with data journalism. Government 2.0 (which as we found is
basically observed within the breach in Australia) was beginning to offer new ways of telling
stories that were hitherto buried in the 0’s and dots. All this I said to the folks during my pitch. I
also said we had to identify new skill sets, train journalists in new tools. We needed a project to
hit play. And they gave me the money.
On the 24th of November 2011, the ABC’s multi-platform project and ABC News Online went
live with ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’. It was five pages of interactive maps, data
visualizations, and text. It wasn’t entirely data journalism—but a hybrid of journalisms that was
born of the mix of people on the team and the story, which to put in context is raging as one of
the hottest issues in Australia. The jewel was an interactive map showing coal seam gas wells
and leases in Australia. Users could search by location and switch between modes to show
leases or wells. By zooming in, users could see who the explorer was, the status of the well,
and its drill date. Another map showed the location of coal seam gas activity compared to the
location of groundwater systems in Australia.
We had data visualizations which specifically addressed the issue of waste salt and water
production that could be produced depending on the situation that emerged. Another section of
the project investigated the release of chemicals into a local river system.
Our team:
- a web developer and designer
- a lead journalist
- a part-time researcher with expertise in data extraction, Excel spreadsheets, and data
cleansing
- a part-time junior journalist
- a consultant executive producer
- an academic consultant with expertise in data mining, graphic visualization, and advanced
research skills
- the services of a project manager and the executive support of the ABC’s multi-platform unit
Importantly, we also had a reference group of journalists and others whom we consulted on a
needs basis.
Where did we get the data from? The data for the interactive maps was scraped from shape
files (a common type of file for geospatial data) downloaded from government websites. Other
data on salt and water were taken from a variety of sources. The data on chemical releases was
taken from environmental permits issued by the government.
What did we learn? ‘Coal Seam gas by the Numbers’ was ambitious in content and scale.
Uppermost in my mind was what did we learn and how might we do it differently next time?
The data journalism project brought a number of people into the room who do not normally meet
at the ABC. In lay terms—the hacks and the hackers. Many of us did not speak the same
language or even appreciate what the other does. Data journalism is disruptive!
The practical things: Co-location of the team is crucial. Our developer and designer were off-site
and came in for meetings. This is definitely not optimal! Space in the same room as the
journalists. Our consultant EP was also on another level of the building. We needed to be much
closer, just for the drop-by element. Choose a story that is entirely data-driven.
The big picture: some ideas Big media organizations need to engage in capacity building to
meet the challenges of data journalism. My hunch is there are a lot of geeks and hackers hiding
in media technical departments desperate to get out. So we need ‘hack and hacker meets’
workshops where the secret geeks, younger journalists, web developers, and designers come
out to play with more experienced journalists for skill sharing and mentoring. Task: download
this data set and analyze it!
Ipso facto, data journalism is interdisciplinary. Data journalism teams are made up of people
who may not in the past have worked together. The digital space has blurred the boundaries.
We live in a fractured, distrustful body politic. The business model that previously delivered
professional impartial journalism—imperfect as it is—is on the verge of collapse. We need to
ask ourselves—as many now are—what might the world look like without a viable fourth estate?
The American
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