American journalists give presentations on the characteristics and trends of data journalism.

John Duchneskie is the graphic editor for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

This presentation addresses the inevitable changes in the US journalism industry due to the rapid development of science and technology and new audiovisual trends among readers. Online newspapers are experiencing significantly faster growth than print newspapers, with increasing demand for news on mobile and digital devices. Modern journalistic thinking is becoming more flexible and responsive, reader reactions to news are a major focus and are frequently studied, and technological skills and knowledge are indispensable in modern journalism. In particular, the need for data retrieval to support research, communication, analysis, and other societal needs has increased dramatically. According to statistics, Google processes 3 billion online searches daily. This context is the reason for the emergence and rapid development of data journalism today. Data journalism is also increasingly demonstrating its superior effectiveness in analyzing and reflecting information. Articles with graphics, numbers, tables, and engaging illustrations have attracted far more reader attention than articles written in a traditional style.

More and more newspapers are establishing dedicated sections for data journalism. Over 51% of American news organizations have departments specifically dedicated to processing numbers and data to "tell" stories through engaging and vivid infographic articles. This trend also forces journalists to equip themselves with in-depth knowledge of computers, software, and graphics.

View of the auditorium

"The newsroom's greatest asset is its journalists who are both skilled writers and knowledgeable in information technology, and we are always 'hunting' for such individuals even while they are still in university," John Duchneskie emphasized. Journalists who can write news articles, code, use graphics proficiently, and possess visual knowledge are invaluable assets to modern newsrooms. They can find work anywhere in the world and receive high salaries.

John Duchneskie also shared that data journalism is used in almost all areas of reporting, from business, sports, and culture to society and the environment. Data is presented flexibly, diversely, and uniquely, helping viewers gain a more direct, clear, and thorough understanding of the issues the journalist addresses. It could be a map showing the increase or decrease in a population's income to reflect economic growth; a conversion of a celebrity's earnings to the income of a middle-class family to highlight social inequality; or a graphic depicting the widespread use of firearms to advocate for a new gun ban. Data is a powerful tool that creates differentiation and uniqueness in how journalists view issues and report news.

The presentation also devoted considerable time to sharing with journalism students the skills and tips for producing an objective, accurate, and engaging data-driven article, such as: sensitivity in finding connections between numbers and the social issues being addressed; clear thinking when analyzing data; placing data within specific contexts to highlight its significance; sourcing data from multiple official and unofficial sources; careful data processing and constant cross-checking; maximizing the information in a presentation; and simplifying the presentation to avoid clutter and visual confusion.