AP Style Guide Addresses Expanding Role of Data in Journalism
June 28, 2017
The AP Style Guide is the renowned go-to handbook of best practices and style rules for any professional journalist. In its newly released 2017 edition, the Guide has released a new section focused on data journalism, a testament to data’s growing importance in this field.
This move reflects a continually growing trend of reporters being more statistically savvy. Statistics is the science of learning from data, which is a valuable skill in journalism. Reporters have increasingly sought to include statistics courses as part of their education. The Colombia School of Journalism even has a faculty member with a Ph.D. in statistics. To see how knowing statistics can pay off for a reporting career, take a look at Wall Street Journal “The Numbers” columnist Jo Craven McGinty or the staff at FiveThirtyEight.
In an AP blog post announcing the Guide’s new statistics chapter, Interactive Newsroom Technology Editor Troy Thibodeaux, who oversaw the development of the new chapter, said:
“Data journalism has evolved from a rarefied skill set that only computer-assisted reporters practiced to become an important tool in the toolkit of every journalist.”
Thibodeaux goes on to state that every reporter needs “basic quantitative understanding” to understand and draw their own conclusions from the data, because the organizations and companies reporters cover, across all beats, are using data to communicate.
“If journalists can’t draw their own conclusions from the data, then they’re left simply accepting at face value the findings of the people they cover.”
As noted above, statistics is the science of drawing conclusions from data, so aspiring and current reporters should include statistics courses in their studies in order to up their game.
The new data journalism chapter offers guidance for reporters regarding acquiring, evaluating, reproducing and reporting on data. It offers best practices for journalists to follow when reporting with data, and addresses the big questions at each stage of the data reporting process.
These practices are key to maintaining transparency in journalism in a data-driven age. Statistical literacy is an increasingly critical skill for journalists and consumers alike as the issue of fake news continues to expand.
Additional Resources:
- Jeremy Singer-Vine has the Buzz on using Data in Journalism [Interview]
- Real or Fake News? Let Statistics Help: 7 Questions to Ask [Quick Guide]
- Stats + Stories: Spotting Fake News with the Guardian USA Data Editor Mona Chalabi [Podcast]
- 3 Ways to Spot a Bad Statistic [Video]
Related Posts
Hindsight Is 2023 for Former Statistics and Data Science Students
It’s back-to-school season! Gear up for the upcoming semester and consider diving into the captivating world of statistics and data science. Looking for diverse job opportunities that span across every industry? Look no further! With a variety of graduate programs and jobs, now is a great time for students to become data scientists and statisticians….
Elizabeth J. Kelly: “Statistics is for Adrenaline Junkies”
Elizabeth J. Kelly has always loved math, and as a professional statistician at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and a recreational rock climber, Elizabeth is an avid thrill-seeker who enjoys a challenge. “Math reminds me of climbing, including the need to focus, problem solve and persevere. I guess I ended up in statistics because I…