Spreadsheets, Software, Storytelling, Visualization, Lifelong Learning: Essential Data Skills for Journalism and Strategic Communication Students

Abstract

To facilitate greater integration of statistical reasoning and data instruction in journalism and mass communication (JMC) college curricula, this research note advocates designing collective instruction for journalism and strategic communication students organized around the data literacy construct. It introduces a Data Project Lifecycle model that maps statistics, data, and computational skills discussed across the literature, and which can be used in instructional design. Input from 24 journalism and strategic communication practitioners with data experience identifies essential data skills for JMC graduates: spreadsheet wherewithal, fluency in industry-standard software, ability to tell compelling stories with data, visualization, and self-directed learning.

Optimization of the visual communication path of data news in the context of the Internet

“…The visualization of data journalism means that the information content contains a variety of visual elements, such as text, images, and colors, which makes the content of the text more graphic and allows it to be dynamically displayed in front of the audience [4][5][6]. Data news further expands the spatial scope of news dissemination and enhances people's perception of news [7]. After the visualization operation, data news uses the self-media platform to obtain readers' personalized needs so as to customize news information and realize news value [8].…”