Question 1

Data is:

Accepted Answer

Data is a collection of facts, which can be numerical, textual, or in other formats. It is very useful in journalism for research, fact-checking, and storytelling, thus making options B and C incorrect.

Question 2

Some journalists, both new and experienced, feel some anxiety about working with data - "But I hate math!" or "I want to tell stories, not crunch numbers!" are common complaints. What are three concerns you have about using data in journalism, and how can you address these?

Accepted Answer

Three concerns about using data in journalism are:

1. Fear of making mistakes: Journalists may worry about misinterpreting or misrepresenting data, leading to inaccurate or misleading reporting.

To address this concern, journalists can undergo training in data analysis and interpretation. They can also collaborate with data experts or statisticians to ensure the accuracy of their findings. Fact-checking and peer review can also help to mitigate the risk of errors in data-driven reporting.

2. Lack of technical skills: Some journalists may feel overwhelmed by the technical aspects of working with data, such as using software or programming languages for analysis.

To overcome this concern, journalists can take courses or workshops on data analysis and visualization. There are also user-friendly tools and software available that require minimal technical expertise, making it easier for journalists to work with data. Collaborating with data-savvy colleagues or seeking mentorship from experienced data journalists can also help to build technical skills.

3. Balancing data with storytelling: Journalists may worry that focusing on data will detract from their ability to tell compelling stories and connect with their audience on an emotional level.

To address this concern, journalists can approach data as a tool to enhance storytelling rather than overshadow it. They can use data to provide context, support their arguments, and uncover new angles for their stories. Incorporating human narratives and personal experiences alongside data-driven insights can help to maintain the emotional impact of journalism while leveraging the power of data.

By addressing these concerns through training, collaboration, and a balanced approach to storytelling, journalists can overcome their anxiety about working with data and produce impactful, accurate, and engaging reporting.

Question 3

Journalism exists in how we gather and present information about the world. Data on its own is not journalism, but neither are words or photographs. On a site such as the Guardian's DataBlog, find an example of data journalism. What takes it from "just" data to a piece of journalism?

Accepted Answer

An example of data journalism from The Guardian's DataBlog is their article "The Counted: People killed by police in the US." This piece of data journalism takes raw data on police killings in the US and presents it in a way that tells a story and provides context. The article includes interactive maps, charts, and graphs to visually represent the data, as well as in-depth analysis and reporting on the trends and patterns found within the data. This goes beyond just presenting the data and instead uses it to uncover and report on important issues, making it a piece of journalism rather than just data.

Question 4

In a spreadsheet, data with a non-numerical value is known as _________ data.

Accepted Answer

Data with a non-numerical value in a spreadsheet is referred to as string data. This includes text or combinations of text and numbers that are not used for calculations.

Question 5

Which of the following data visualization approaches consists of a matrix of rows and columns?

Accepted Answer

A table is a data visualization approach that consists of a matrix of rows and columns.

Question 6

Of the LATCH approaches to organizing data, which deals with magnitude or rank?

Accepted Answer

Hierarchy is the LATCH approach that deals with organizing data by magnitude or rank, as it involves arranging items in a way of importance or level of control.

Question 7

Of the LATCH approaches to organizing data, which is usually the least informative?

Accepted Answer

Alphabetical organization is usually the least informative because it does not inherently provide additional context or meaning about the data beyond the order of the letters in the alphabet. Unlike the other methods, it doesn't group data by relevance, time, location, or hierarchical importance.

Question 8

What are the two parts of a spreadsheet formula?

Accepted Answer

A spreadsheet formula consists of a function, which performs a specific calculation, and parameters, which are the inputs or arguments the function uses to perform its calculation.

Question 9

Raw data on its own is not meaningful because of differences between units (such as state population) Converting raw data to a meaningfully comparable form is called:

Accepted Answer

Normalization is the process of converting raw data to a form that allows for meaningful comparison by adjusting for differences in units or scales, such as adjusting state populations to per capita figures.

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT required for a Freedom of Information Act request?

Accepted Answer

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) does not require a requester's signature for a request to be valid. The key requirements are that the request must be in writing, reasonably describe the information sought, and comply with specific agency requirements for making such requests.

Question 11

The United States legal precedent that establishes that facts are NOT copyrightable is:

Accepted Answer

Feist v. Rural Telephone Service is the landmark case that established the principle that facts are not copyrightable in the United States. The Supreme Court ruled that a mere listing of facts (in this case, a telephone directory) lacks the originality required for copyright protection.

Question 12

If you wanted to search only for data from a specific domain, you would use:

Accepted Answer

The "site:" search operator is used to restrict searches to a specific domain. For example, using "site:example.com" in a search query will return results only from the domain "example.com".

Question 13

The questions we ask of data depend on measured items that can have different values, which are called:

Accepted Answer

Variables are the measured items in data that can have different values, hence the questions we ask of data depend on these variables.

Question 14

Data that is based primarily in numbers is:

Accepted Answer

Data that is primarily based in numbers is referred to as quantitative data. This type of data can be measured and expressed numerically, making it suitable for statistical analysis.

Question 15

As journalism changes, data skills are turning up in different positions. Some newsrooms have dedicated data specialists in a specific department, much like the photo or graphics departments. Others prefer to have many journalists with general data skills rather than have a specialized data team. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach?

Accepted Answer

The answer of As journalism changes, data skills are turning...

Question 16

Data that describes the qualities of something is:

Accepted Answer

Data that describes the qualities of something is qualitative.

Question 17

Data that classifies mutually exclusive types is:

Accepted Answer

Nominal data is used for categorizing or labeling variables without a quantitative value, making it suitable for classifying mutually exclusive types. Unlike ordinal, interval, and ratio data, nominal data does not imply any order, difference, or ratio between categories.

Question 18

Data based on ranking (e.g., 1st through 10th) is:

Accepted Answer

Ranking data is ordinal because it places items in order but does not specify the distance between the ranks.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT an example of a search engine operator?

Accepted Answer

IF is not a search engine operator. AND, OR, and NOT are standard operators used in search engines to refine and control searches.

Question 20

The "wild card" search operator, which is used to seek incomplete words or phrases, is:

Accepted Answer

The "wild card" search operator, which is used to seek incomplete words or phrases, is: *

Quiz 9: Data Journalism