Search our site
Search our site

Digital Detectives: Data Journalism

  • Module code: JO5008
  • Year: 2018/9
  • Level: 5
  • Credits: 30
  • Pre-requisites: successful completion of level 4 journalism modules or equivalent
  • Co-requisites: None

Summary

In this module, students will build an understanding of the role and context of data journalism in the light of developments in online ‘data dumping' by ‘hacktivists' and accompanying changes to the role of the professional journalist as the traditional ‘gatekeeper' to news and information. Students will gain practical skills in searching for and developing original investigative stories from online datasets, as well as learning how to make use of basic digital tools to visualise their findings in dynamic graphic formats.

Aims

  • Understand the role and context of data journalism in relation to current developments within the industry
  • Develop  the core skills necessary for investigative data journalism including using the Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations to source datasets
  • Develop the technical skills required to sift statistics for trends and patterns, and work with data-mining software
  • Enable students to understand how to use basic digital tools to filter and visualise data in graphic formats

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

 

  • Use      online datasets effectively to search for, identify and develop original      investigative stories
  • The      ability to use digital tools to filter and visualise online data findings
  • Recognise      the ways in which the traditional role of journalists as gatekeepers to      information has evolved into that of curator/referee
  • Demonstrate      core investigative skills to produce a piece of original investigative      journalism based on data

Curriculum content

  • Introduction      to investigative data journalism – what is it, and why is it important?      How has it affected the role of the journalist?
  • Key      case studies: the Wikileaks cables and Edward Snowden and the NSA
  • Online      datasets – what are they and where do you find them?
  • Official      and ‘non' official datasets – the legalities and challenges of data leaks and      dealing with sources
  • Data-mining      using the Freedom of Information Act
  • How can      online datasets be used to generate original, investigative stories?
  • Filtering      online data to find stories
  • Citizen      data-mining – the rise of collaborative data-crunching websites like      openlylocal.com and whatdotheyknow.com      
  • The      final part of the package: how to create an engaging visualisation to      ‘sell' your story for digital platforms

Teaching and learning strategy

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

  • Use online      datasets effectively to search for, identify and develop original           investigative stories
  • The ability to use      digital tools to filter and visualise online data findings
  • Recognise  the ways in which the traditional role      of journalists as gatekeepers to information has evolved into that of curator/referee
  • Demonstrate  core investigative skills to produce a piece of original investigative  journalism based on data

Breakdown of Teaching and Learning Hours

Definitive UNISTATS Category Indicative Description Hours
Scheduled learning and teaching Fortnightly 1-hour lecture in TB1 Weekly 1.5 hour workshop in TB1 Two hourly fortnightly workshop in TB2 Total 6 16.6 12 34.5
Guided independent study 265.5
Total (number of credits x 10) 300

Assessment strategy

Formative:

 

The assessment strategy tests the students' ability to search and decipher online data sets and use data journalism tools to identify and research investigative stories. Formative assessment will include in-class practical exercises in selecting data journalism methods and visualising data using digital tools

 

Summative:

 

Portfolio consisting of two elements:

 

Assessed presentation at the end of TB1 in which students are required to demonstrate their understanding of the role of data journalism in the industry today, a detailed plan for an original investigation based on a particular dataset and a ‘dummy' visualisation showcasing their technical knowledge gained in TB1. 30%

 

Self-directed investigative data project at the end of TB2, in which students will submit their findings including data visualisation, preceded by a short gateway presentation in which students must describe and explain their work in progress for the project. 70%

 

Mapping of Learning Outcomes to Assessment Strategy (Indicative)

Learning Outcome Assessment Strategy
Use online datasets effectively to search for, identify and develop original investigative stories In class practical exercises (formative). Assessed presentation TB1 and self-directed project TB2 (summative)
Use digital tools to filter and visualise online data findings In class practical exercises (formative). Assessed presentation TB1 and self-directed project and gateway presentation TB2 (summative)
Understand the role of data journalism in the industry today Assessed presentation TB1 (summative)
Demonstrate core investigative skills to produce a piece of original investigative journalism etc Self-directed project and gateway presentation TB2 (summative)

Elements of Assessment

Description of Assessment Definitive UNISTATS Categories Percentage
CWK Plan for data investigation 30
CWK 1500 word data project 70
Total (to equal 100%) 100%

Achieving a pass

It IS a requirement that the major category of assessment is passed in order to achieve an overall pass for the module

Bibliography core texts

 

Core Text(s):

 

Brooke, H. (2006) Your Right to Know: A Citizen's Guide to the Freedom of Information Act. London: Pluto Press.

Gray, J., Chambers, L., and Bounegru, L. The Data Journalism Handbook 

(available free online at: http://datajournalismhandbook.org/)

Mair, J. and Lance Keeble, R. (eds) Data Journalism. Bury St Edmunds: Arima Publishing.

Montague, B. and Amin, L. (2012) FOIA without the Lawyer. London: Centre for Investigative Journalism.

Rogers, S. (2013) Facts are Sacred. London: Faber and Faber.

Bibliography recommended reading

Brooke, H. (2012) The Revolution will be Digitised: Dispatches from the Information War. London: Windmill Books.

Beckett, C. and Ball, J. (2012) Wikileaks: News in the Networked Era. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Brooke, H. (2011) The Silent State: Secrets, Surveillance and the Myth of British Democracy. London: Windmill Books

Greenwald, G. (2015) No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA and the US Surveillance State. New York: Picador USA.

Harding, L. (2014) The Snowden Files. London: Guardian Faber Publishing.

Leigh, D. and Harding, L. (2011) Wikileaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy. London: Guardian Books.

Weinberg, S. Wikileaks and the Age of Transparency. Yale: Yale University Press.

 

Guardian datablog:http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog

 

FT datawatch blog:http://blogs.ft.com/ftdata/

 

Information is Beautiful:http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/

Find a course

Course finder

Find a course
>