What is Data Journalism? How does it complement traditional reporting?

No problem, I'm quite familiar with this, let me explain it to you in plain language.

You can think of it this way:

Data journalism is like equipping a reporter with a 'detective toolkit' and a 'translator machine'.

Traditional journalists are more like street detectives, primarily relying on their legs and mouths. They gather information by interviewing parties involved, seeking out whistleblowers, and attending press conferences. Then, they piece together these scattered stories to tell you what happened. For instance, when reporting on rising housing prices in a city, they might interview a few struggling renters, then a real estate agent and an expert, and the story emerges.

Data journalists, however, in addition to doing all that, possess several new skills:

1. They are 'data miners': They are no longer content with interviewing just a few people; instead, they seek out massive amounts of data. For example, they might download ten years of transaction records for all residential areas in a city, population inflow data, land auction prices, and so on, from government websites. This data is like a huge 'mine'.
2. They are 'data analysts': After obtaining this large pile of numbers (raw data), they use computer software (like Excel, Python, and other tools) to clean and analyze it. Much like gold panning, they sift through vast amounts of data to find patterns and connections. They might discover: "Oh! The areas with the sharpest housing price increases happen to be where three new subway lines opened in the past three years," or "The housing price increase in a certain neighborhood is unusually high, far exceeding its surroundings, suggesting something might be amiss there."
3. They are 'story translators': Just having conclusions isn't enough; a pile of numbers is incomprehensible to the average person. So, they must 'translate' these cold, complex analytical results into something we can understand. This is where data visualization shines. They might create dynamic maps to show how housing prices have spread and increased year by year, or clear charts to illustrate the widening gap between income and housing prices.

So, how exactly does data journalism 'complement' traditional news reporting?

It's not about replacing traditional reporting, but making it more powerful and credible. It's like equipping a martial arts master with a divine weapon.

• Making reports more persuasive, from 'individual cases' to the 'bigger picture' Traditional reporting tells 'one person's story,' for example, Zhang San can't afford a house. This can easily be countered with: "That's an isolated case; Li Si can afford one, can't he?" But data journalism presents 'data from thousands of people,' telling you that 70% of young people in this city face the same predicament. This is no longer an isolated case but a widespread phenomenon, making the report's foundation much more solid and impactful.

• Uncovering 'invisible' truths, especially adept at 'investigative journalism' Some truths are deeply hidden and cannot be unearthed by interviewing just a few people. For instance, investigating the complex equity relationships behind a large corporation or exposing global tax evasion networks (like the famous "Panama Papers") involves millions of documents, which the human brain simply cannot process. In such cases, data analysis is essential, allowing computers to find connections and pinpoint the key figures and clues hidden behind the scenes. This is a super upgrade to traditional investigative reporting methods.

• Simplifying complex issues, enhancing the reading experience In today's digital media era, no one has the patience to read lengthy numerical analyses. An article about a financial budget, if filled with only text and tables, would likely be read by very few. But if it's presented as an interactive chart, you can click on 'Education' to see where the money is spent, or 'Healthcare' to get a clear breakdown of expenditures. This is highly intuitive. It makes complex information both 'visually appealing' and 'easy to understand,' allowing you to grasp the key points at a glance.

In summary,

If traditional news tells us stories, data journalism tells stories with evidence. It ensures that news reporting no longer relies solely on a journalist's personal observations and the partial accounts of sources, but is supported by large-scale, objective data. This makes news more precise, more in-depth, and more powerful.

It's like giving news reporting a 'God's-eye view,' allowing us to see the full picture from a higher, more macroscopic perspective.