This article outlines a general epistemological framework of data journalism in the devolved nations of the UK. By using an original model based on three conceptual lenses-materiality, performativity and reflexivity-this study examines the development of this form of journalism, the challenges it faces, and its particularities in the context of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This research therefore offers unique insights from semi-structured interviews with data journalists and data editors based at, or working as freelancers for, the mainstream news organisations of these regions. The results suggest that data journalism in these devolved nations displays a distinctive character just as much as it reinforces the norms and rituals of the legacy organisations that pioneered this practice. Whilst various models of data exploitation are tested, regional data journalists creatively circumvent generalised organisational struggles to lay the groundwork for their trade and professional community.
This paper examines how data journalism producers encode their audiences' user experienceor how they construct meaning within the parameters of a user interface. We argue that interfaces enact data journalists' perceptual image of their audience, and are therefore a meaningful object of study to explore: (a) the relationship between data reporters and their publics; (b) the tensions that emerge from that relationship; and (c) how those tensions are negotiated. Our combined evaluation of producer and artefact perspectives is based on interviews with 12 data journalism producers in legacy UK newsrooms, and interaction design, and multimodal discourse analysis of 12 stories produced by our informants. Findings suggest that data journalism producers' efforts to create content that resonates with their audiences have resulted in the diversification of data journalism formats, and a more mature view of interactivity, with producers striving to offer experiences in whose meaning negotiation the reader takes centre stage. The reader is perceived as a co-creator of meaning through the expectation of either physical interaction or cognitive immersion. Yet, the paternalistic element, even in the most discovery-/ reader-driven stories, remains stronger, manifesting in a carefully crafted experience and pointing to journalism producers' traditional self-perception as gatekeepers of information.
For many years, scholars have accepted the pedagogic, practical, and theoretical universalization of journalism standards. Benchmarks on what journalists, teachers, or researchers should do in their day-to-day activities were set in the West. While a small group of scholars questioned or openly challenged this philosophy, many acquiesced. However, the era of sustained Western discourse dominance seems over if unremitting calls for re-theorization are anything to go by (Glück, 2018;Mitchelstein & Boczkowski, 2021;Mohammed, 2021).The purpose of this Invited Forum is to add to the growing calls for reconceptualization of the field and to recognize the importance of context in defining, directing, and determining journalism's role in society (
During its period of rapid growth, data journalism was poised to position journalism as society's watchdog once again. But despite eager predictions, its rate of adoption outside large news organisations remains low, limiting the consolidation of data journalism to a normative practice. Through Scenario Network Mapping, this article seeks to outline the possible futures of data journalism practice by determining its sustainability in the current climate of journalism austerity. Results suggest three possible scenarios: 1) As a skillset, data journalism will soon be regarded as essential for every professional journalist 2) As a genre, data journalism will remain a niche storytelling format but will ultimately find its way into smaller newsrooms due to decreasing limitations 3) Due to financial and personnel limitations, data journalism will be abandoned by the mainstream media, who will outsource data analysis to non-legacy actors. Within this context, it remains to be seen whether data journalism can continue innovating in order to remain competitive in the constantly evolving ecosystem of today's news production.
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