Journalists working with data should remember to make it digestible and relatable among other key principles, but how can they strike the perfect balance between creating a data visualisation that conveys information to readers in a clear way and that is also visually appealing?
In this guest post on the Online Journalism Blog, Steve Carufel, a student on the MA in Multiplatform and Mobile Journalism at Birmingham City University, provides eight tips for reporters to avoid bad data storytelling from an interview with freelance data reporter Thomas de Beus.
De Beus, who runs a blog called Colourful Facts in which he outlines and improves flawed data visualisations, advises journalists to avoid using fruits as a way to portray information and numbers, and to steer clear of pie charts when showing trends or comparisons.
Free daily newsletter
If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).
Related articles
- Can AI help overcome biases and shortcomings in data journalism?
- 16 free sources of data on the media industry
- Six tools to elevate your data storytelling
- Why DC Thomson's data journalists are keeping tabs on high street businesses
- Tackling new challenges for data journalism, with DC Thomson's Lesley-Anne Kelly and Ema Sabljak
