Data journalism added to list of interdisciplinary programs

In the age of digital media, approximately 86% of Americans get news online. The need for journalists who can make sense of data and clearly and accurately report their findings is greater than ever. Recognizing this need, Augustana now offers data journalism as an area of study alongside traditional journalism. 

Journalism professor Janet Blank-Libra collaborated with the computer science department to develop the curriculum. Students pursuing data journalism will take three additional courses: introduction to data science, data visualization and statistics.

Raymond Leach, fintech program director and assistant professor of data science, said that these classes will serve a solid baseline for understanding data analysis and how it can be used to tell a story. 

“As a data journalist, you’re really trying to synthesize information and present it in a way that’s fair and encompassing of everything,” Leach said. 

Not only do students learn to present information fairly, but they also learn to present information creatively. 

“Nobody wants to look at just numbers or tables,” Leach said. “It’s so much easier to understand a graphic, so being able to create that graphic is really just trying to tell a story with your data.”

Students on the data journalism track will learn to delve into data trends that globally affect people. According to Blank-Libra, at the center of this investigative work are two simple questions: why is this trend occurring, and how does it affect others? 

Blank-Libra explained that the best data journalists ask good questions that are both pertinent and appropriate. She added that being able to visualize the data and present it clearly is also important. 

“These stories are grounded in numerical data, and they can reveal the scope of important issues,” Blank-Libra said.  

She believes a combination of traditional journalism and data science classes will enhance students’ ability to use data to tell compelling stories. 

“We do what we can to ensure that our students are ready for the world,” Blank-Libra said. “And if they are interested in working with data in this way, then this is a good direction for them to go.”

When sophomore Melissa Avelino dos Santos considered dropping her journalism major to pursue data science, Blank-Libra convinced her to shift from the traditional journalism track to data journalism. 

“There’s lots of opportunities with data journalism,” Avelino dos Santos said. “It’s pretty cool.”

She hopes to one day work with Formula One racing but can also see herself working in the news or with magazines. 

Leach emphasized the importance of sending more people into the world like Avelino dos Santos. He explained that data can be presented in misleading ways, and not everyone is able to pick up on this.

“You can lie with numbers just by omitting some data or using different data analysis techniques,” Leach said. “The more people you have informed, the easier it’s going to be for us collectively to identify that misinformation and call it out.”