Bella Hurrell's presentation on data journalism at the BBC delivered at news:rewired - full stream ahead

1. Data journalism
on the BBC
news website
Bella Hurrell, editor
BBC News Specials team
bbc.co.uk/newsgraphics
@BBCNewsGraphics

2. Data and journalism
Data journalism roughly divides into three broad types that often overlap:
1. Traditional investigative data journalism, often called CAR - finding stories in the
data – with or without visualisations
2. Using the data to tell a story or explain a complex problem – this will involve
graphics or ‘visualisations’
3. Providing a service or a tool that tells the reader something personally relevant -
school league tables or simple financial tools and calculators

3. Slow death of prohibition
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17291978

4. Tournament football and domestic violence
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-18379093

5. How do you get your data projects to
live longer?
• Pick subjects that have a shelf life – and update the data
• Make a tools, databases and apps that your readers will want to return to
• Make it easy for users to share your feature
• Plan publication and partner with a range of outlets for maximum coverage
• Remember to re-promote the features regularly
• Make sure they work on tablets and mobiles, where appropriate

6. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15975720

12. data journalism tips
• It is stories in the numbers that are interesting
• Give your data a human face with case studies or by making it personally
relevant
• Investigative journalism can take a long time – Keep focused and work
with experts
• Clean your data and triple check it – there are ALWAYS errors
• Build sharing in if appropriate to help boost reach
• Always have a page where you explain your methodology
• Be prepared to respond to critics and staff to cover corrections and
feedback

13. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15748696

14. data visualisation tips
• Help your readers to understand something complex, don’t just make data
art
• Keep your user in mind all the time
• Test your designs and iterate on the feedback
• Keep the interface simple and intuitive
• Avoid too many choices as can lead to user anxiety
• Sequential ‘NEXT’ options will often get more clicks than ‘EXPLORE’
• Consider audio commentary or using video production tools like After
Effects to give an overview

15. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17442946

16. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-15391515

17. Data tools or apps
• Provide information that users will find personally relevant and useful
• If appropriate allow users to share a key fact about themselves to boost
reach and make it feel more personal
• A global dataset will be relevant to far more users and will get more
shares