Share this webinar

Close your data and AI skills gap

We're the only platform uniquely engineered to advance data and AI skills across your entire organization. Let's explore a tailored program.

Upskilling a small team?Get started today

Data Literacy

How Data Journalists Deliver Data Stories

September 2022

Your Presenter(s)

Kimberly Herrington

Senior Analyst, Data Leadership, Organization & Culture @ Forrester

A former data journalist for a large health insurance agency, Kim Herrington was responsible for growing data visualization user adoption, increasing communications, and increasing organizational data literacy. She met these goals by working with cross-functional teams from analytics, IT, marketing, administration, operations, and other corporate servicing functions. She has started and optimized multiple analytics communities to maximize communication in remote environments.

Kim is currently a senior analyst within Forrester’s business insights research practice team. Forrester is one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the world. Through Forrester's proprietary research, consulting, and events, leaders are provided help across technology, customer experience, digital, marketing, sales, and product functions to use customer obsession to accelerate growth. Kim Herrington provides expertise in data leadership, communications, and culture. Kim is a key data literacy influencer, data and analytics community builder, and passionate data storyteller.

Michelle McGhee

Journalist Engineer @ The Pudding

Betsy Ladyzhets

Independent data journalist focused on COVID-19 and Founder of the COVID-19 Data Dispatch

Summary

Data storytelling has never been more vital in the media world, particularly as we tackle complex subjects like COVID-19 and public policy. The session explored how data journalists develop stories that are both captivating and informative, enhancing understanding through data visualization. The panelists, including Kimberly Harrington, Michelle McGee, and Betsy Laizetz, shared insights from their various fields. They discussed the progression of data storytelling, emphasizing the need for balancing complexity with accessibility. The discussion also spotlighted the role of color in storytelling, the importance of narrative development, and the challenge of maintaining audience engagement in an era of shortened attention spans. With the emergence of technologies like generative AI, the future promises even more interactive and immersive data stories, highlighting the importance of building trust and ensuring data quality.

Key Takeaways:

The world of data storytelling and journalism has evolved significantly, with a focus on accessibility and engagement.
Successful data stories balance complexity with clarity to reach a wide audience.
Color and narrative development are critical elements in enhancing the impact of data stories.
Emerging technologies like generative AI could revolutionize data storytelling by making it more interactive.
Building trust through transparent data validation and quality checks is essential for credibility.

Deep Dives

The Evolution of Data Storytelling

Data storytelling has undergone a transformation over the past few years, becoming a vital tool in communicating complex information to the public. Betsy Laizetz highlights the shift from dense dashboards to more focused narratives that address specific audience needs. This progression is driven by the need to make data accessible and digestible for a wider audience, particularly in the context of pandemic-related data. The ability to explain the source and methodology of data is vital in building authority and trust. As Kimberly Harrington notes, the challenge lies in balancing complexity with accessibility to ensure that data stories are as impactful as they are informative.

The Role of Color in Data Visualization

Color plays a significant role in data visualization, influencing how audiences perceive and interpret information. Michelle McGee emphasizes the emotional impact of color choices, citing examples like the CDC’s shift from using bright red to softer pastels in their COVID-19 maps. Such choices can change the narrative tone and audience perception. Kimberly Harrington adds that color weight, or the intensity of color used, guides the viewer's attention to key elements of a visualization. This technique is particularly useful in internal communications, where corporate color schemes can reinforce brand identity and message coherence.

Crafting Engaging Narratives

Creating compelling narratives is at the heart of effective data storytelling. Michelle McGee shares the importance of not burying the lead and engaging the audience from the start. Personalization is a powerful tool that can make stories more relatable and interactive, such as including audience input or localizing data stories. Kimberly Harrington expands on the importance of the "here's what, so what, now what" framework, which ensures that stories are not only informative but also actionable. This approach encourages collaboration with the audience to refine narratives that resonate deeply.

Overcoming Shortened Attention Spans

In a world with shortening attention spans, data storytellers face the challenge of keeping audiences engaged. Betsy Laizetz and Michelle McGee discuss strategies such as breaking down complex information into digestible portions and using visual storytelling to spark interest quickly. Interactive elements, like those seen in The New York Times’ interactive graphs, invite readers to participate and stay engaged. The use of technology, such as virtual reality or interactive dashboards, can further enhance engagement by immersing the audience in the data story.