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Video: Data Journalism
David Hayward |
Thursday 23 September 2010, 11:13

Making sense of data has become an increasingly important part of the work of any journalist. The release of documents through WikiLeaks, the MPs' expenses scandal and 'open government' are just a few examples of where these skills are now vital.

In a BBC College of Journalism and Frontline Club event, some of the best thinkers in the world of data journalism outlined their views:

- Simon Rogers, news editor (data) at the Guardian and editor of Guardian.co.uk's Datablog, played a key role in turning some of the 90,000 documents given to Wikileaks into graphics and interactive charts. Read this fascinating article by Simon on how he did it.

- David McCandless, writer, designer and author of Information is Beautiful, which "explores the potential of data visualisation as a new direction for journalists and storytelling".

- Julian Burgess, programmer and editorial developer at the Times, who talked about using data in a practical newsroom environment and how journalists can add a real-time dimension to their work.

- Michael Blastland, journalist and creator of BBC Radio 4's More or Less programme. Michael spoke about how to use official sources and data and make sure you're getting the real story behind the figures.