The potential of investigative data journalism to reshape professional culture and values. A study of bellwether transnational projects
Main Article Content
Abstract

This article offers a specialized view of investigative data journalism based on a study of recent initiatives that resulted from transnational cooperation involving different journalistic agents and institutions. The initiatives in question are The Migrant Files (2014), NarcoData (2015), Medicamentalia (2015-2018), Panama Papers (2016), Football Leaks (2016) and Investiga Lava Jato (2017). These products are analysed according to the main approach used in research in this field, which focuses on their content and characteristics as well as on the professional implications and difficulties involved. The conclusions suggest that the complexity and effort required for this type of product can be worthwhile in order to recover the principles of journalism and to renew and enrich the role of journalists, based on their collaboration with other professionals.
Keywords
References
Adegboyega, O. & Bahareh, H. (2018). Patterns in Award Winning Data Storytelling: Story Types, Enabling Tools and Competences. Digital Journalism, 6(6), 693-718. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2017.1403291
Aitamurto, T., Sirkkunen, E. & Lehtonen, P. (2011) Trends in data journalism. Retrieved from http://virtual.vtt.fi/virtual/nextmedia/Deliverables-2011/D3.2.1.2.B_Hyperlocal_Trends_In%20Data_Journalism.pdf
Alfter, B. (2019). Cross-border Collaborative Journalism. A Step-By-Step Guide. London: Routledge.
Anderson, C. W. (2013). Towards a Sociology of Computational and Algorithmic Journalism. New Media & Society, 15(7), 1005-1021. https://www.doi.org/10.1177/1461444812465137
Appelgren, E. & Nygren, G. (2014a). Data journalism in Sweden – Opportunities and challenges: A case study of Brottspejl at Sveriges Television (SVT). In C. Mills, M. Pidd & E. Ward (Eds.), Proceedings of the Digital Humanities Congress 2012. Sheffield: HRI Online Publications. Retrieved from https://www.hrionline.ac.uk/openbook/chapter/dhc2012-appelgren
Appelgren, E. & Nygren, G. (2014b). Data journalism in Sweden: Introducing new methods and genres of journalism into “old” organizations. Digital Journalism, 2(3), 394–405. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2014.884344
Appelgren, E. (2017). An Illusion of Interactivity. The paternalistic side of data journalism. Journalism Practice, 12(3), 308–325. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2017.1299032
Appelgren, E., Lindén, C. & van Dalen, A. (2019). Data Journalism Research: Studying a Maturing Field across Journalistic Cultures, Media Markets and Political Environments. Digital Journalism, 7(9), 1191-1199. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2019.1685899
Ausserhofer, J, Gutounig, R, Oppermann, M., Matiasek, S. & Goldgruber, E. (2020). The datafication of data journalism scholarship: Focal points, methods, and research propositions for the investigation of data-intensive newswork. Journalism, 21(7), 950-973. https://www.doi.org/10.1177/1464884917700667
Baack, S. (2018) Practically Engaged. The entanglements between data journalism and civic tech. Digital Journalism, 6(6), 673-692. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2017.1375382
Bakker, P. (2014). Mr. Gates returns: Curation, community management and other new roles for journalists. Journalism Studies, 15(5), 596-606. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2014.901783
Borges-Rey, E. (2020). Towards an epistemology of data journalism in the devolved nations of the United Kingdom: Changes and continuities in materiality, performativity and reflexivity. Journalism, 21(7), 915-932.
Center for Cooperative Media (2017). Comparing Models of Collaborative Journalism. School of Communication and Media. Montclair State University. Retrieved from https://collaborativejournalism.org/wpcontent/uploads/2017/09/Models-for-Collaborative-Journalism-research-paper.pdf
Cohen S., Hamilton, J. & Turner, F. (2011). Computational journalism: How computer scientists can empower journalists, democracy’s watchdogs, in the production of news in the public interest. Communications of the ACM, 54(10), 66–71. https://www.doi.org/10.1145/2001269.2001288
De Lima-Santos, M., González-Tosat, C. & Salaverría, R. (2019) Adapting investigative and data journalism to new players: How are actors working globally? In Academic Track Reader. Global Investigative Journalism Conference. Hamburg, Germany. https://www.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.25585.02405
De Maeyer, J., Libert, M., Domingo, D., Heinderyckx, F. & Le Cam, F. (2015). Waiting for Data Journalism. Digital Journalism, 3(3), 432–446. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2014.976415
Dörr, K. N. & Hollnbuchner, K. (2017). Ethical challenges of algorithmic journalism. Digital Journalism, 5(4), 404–419. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2016.1167612
Edmonds, R. & Mitchell, A. (2014). Journalism Partnerships: A New Era of Interest. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.journalism.org/2014/12/04/journalism-partnerships.
Felle, T. (2016). Digital watchdogs? Data reporting and the news media’s traditional “fourth estate” function. Journalism, 17(1), 85–96. https://www.doi.org/10.1177/1464884915593246
Fink, K. and Anderson, C. W. (2015). Data journalism in the United States: Beyond the “usual suspects”. Journalism Studies, 16(4), 467–481. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2014.939852
Garrison, B. (1999). Newspaper size as a factor in use of computer-assisted reporting. Newspaper Research Journal, 20(3), 72-85. https://www.doi.org/10.1177/073953299902000306
Grassler, M. (2017). El rol del periodista de datos en el proceso de los sistemas de gestión y decisión pública y en la recuperación de la confianza entre el ciudadano y las instituciones públicas. Doctoral Thesis. Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona.
Gray J., Bounegru, L. & Chambers, L. (Eds.) (2012). The Data Journalism Handbook: How Journalists Can Use Data to Improve the News. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly.
Hamilton, M. (2015). All Together Now: News Partnerships Increase in Digital Age. American Journalism Review. Retrieved from http://ajr.org/2015/05/18/all-together-now-news-partnerships-increase-in-digital-age/
Hannaford, L. (2015). Computational journalism in the UK newsroom: Hybrids or specialists? Journalism Education, 4(1), 6-21.
Hermida, A. & Lynn, M. (2017). Finding the Data Unicorn. Digital Journalism, 5(2), 159-176. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2016.1162663
Howard, A. B. (2014). The Art and Science of Data-Driven Journalism. New York: Tow Center for Digital Journalism. Retrieved from http://towcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Tow-Center-Data-Driven-Journalism.pdf
Hume, E. & Abbot, S. (2017). The Future of Investigative Journalism: Global, Networked and Collaborative. Retrieved from https://cmds.ceu.edu/sites/cmcs.ceu.hu/files/attachment/article/1129/humeinvestigativejournalismsurvey_0.pdf
Karlsen, J., Stavelin, E. (2014). Computational Journalism in Norwegian Newsrooms. Journalism Practice, 8(1), 34-48. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2013.813190
Knight, M. (2015). Data journalism in the UK. Journal of Media Practice, 16(1), 55–72. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/14682753.2015.1015801
Konow-Lund, M., Gearing, A. & Berglez, P. (2019). Transnational Cooperation in Journalism. In J. F. Nussbaum, Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication. Oxford University Press.
Lewis, S. C. & Westlund, O. (2015). Big Data and Journalism. Digital Journalism, 3(3), 447–466. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2014.976418
Loosen, W.; Reimer, J. & De Silva-Schmidt, F. (2020). Data-driven reporting: An on-going (r)evolution? An analysis of projects nominated for the Data Journalism Awards 2013–2016. Journalism, 21(9), 1246-1263. https://www.doi.org/10.1177/1464884917735691
López García, X. Toural, C. & Rodríguez, A. I. (2016). Software, estadística y gestión de bases de datos en el perfil del periodista de datos. El Profesional de la Información, 25(2), 286-294. https://www.doi.org/10.3145/epi.2016.mar.16
Lynn, M., Hermida, A. & Fulda, J. (2018). What Makes for Great Data Journalism? Journalism Practice, 12(1), 115-135. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2016.1270171
Nygren, G. & Appelgren, E. (2013). Data journalism in Sweden: Introducing New Methods and Genres of Journalism into “Old organizations”. Paper Presented at the Future of Journalism Conference Cardiff, September 12-13.
Parasie, S. & Dagiral, E. (2013). Data-driven journalism and the public good: “Computer-assisted reporters” and “programmer-journalists” in Chicago. New Media & Society, 15(6), 853-871. https://www.doi.org/10.1177/1461444812463345
Parasie, S. (2015). Data-driven revelation? Epistemological tensions in investigative journalism in the age of “big data”. Digital Journalism, 3(3), 364-380 . https://www.doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2014.976408
Richterich, A. (2018). The Big Data Agenda: Data Ethics and Critical Data Studies. London: University of Westminster Press.
Rogers, S. (2011). Facts are Sacred: the Power of Data. London: Guardian Books.
Royal, C. (2012). The journalist as programmer: A case study of the New York Times Interactive News Technology department. ISOJ Journal, 2(1). Retrieved from https://isoj.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Royal10-1.pdf
Sambrook, E. (2018). Global Teamwork. The rise of Collaboration in Investigative Journalism. Oxford: Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.
Sampedro, V. (Ed.) (2016). Filtraciones ciudadanas. Periodismo de investigación mancomunado. Master’s dissertation 2014/2016. Retrieved from https://victorsampedro.com/libros/publicaciones/Prototipos_II.pdf
Smit, G., De Haan, Y. & Buijs, L. (2014). Visualizing News: Make it Work. Journalism, 2(3), 344-354. https://www.doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2014.897847
Tabary, C., Provost, A. & Trottier, A. (2016). Data Journalism’s Actors, Practices and Skills: A Case Study from Quebec. Journalism, 17(1), 66-84. https://www.doi.org/10.1177/1464884915593245
Uskali, T. & Kuutti, H. (2015). Models and streams of data journalism. The Journal of Media Innovations, 2(1), 77–88. https://www.doi.org/10.5617/jmi.v2i1.882
Weber, W. & Rall, H. (2012). Data visualization in online journalism and its implications for the production process. In Proceedings of the 16th international conference on information visualization (IV), 11–13 July, (pp. 349–356). Montpellier: IEEE. https://www.doi.org/10.1109/IV.2012.65
Weber, W. & Rall, H. (2013). “We are journalists”: Production practices, attitudes and a case study of the New York Times newsroom. In W. Weber, M. Burmester & R. Tille (Eds.), Interaktive Infografiken (pp. 161–172). Berlin: Springer.
Weinacht, S. & Spiller, R. (2014). Datenjournalismus in Deutschland: Eine explorative Untersuchung zu Rollenbildern von Datenjournalisten. Publizistik, 59(4), 411–433. https://www.doi.org/10.1007/s11616-014-0213-5
Yin, Robert K. 2003. Case study research: Design and method (3rd edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Zanchelli, M. & Crucianelli, S. (2012). Integrating data journalism into newsrooms. International Center for Journalists. Retrieved from http://www.icfj.org/sites/default/files/integrating%20data%20journalism-english_0.pdf
Details
Article Details
RIGHTS TRANSFER
By submitting the article for evaluation and subsequent publication in Communication & Society, the AUTHOR exclusively assigns the rights of public communication, reproduction, distribution and sale for commercial exploitation to the University of Navarra through its Publications Service, for the maximum legal term in force -the entire life of the author and seventy years after his death or declaration of death-, in any country, and in any of the current and future edition modalities, both in print and electronic versions.
In the event that the article is not accepted for publication , this transfer of rights lapses with the communication of the refusal to the AUTHOR.
The AUTHOR affirms that the article is unpublished, that it has not been sent simultaneously to another publication medium and that the rights have not been transferred exclusively previously. He is responsible to the University of Navarra through its Publications Service for the authorship and originality of his work, as well as for all pecuniary charges that may arise for the University of Navarra through its Publications Service, in favor of third parties due to actions, claims or conflicts arising from the breach of obligations by the AUTHOR.