Data Journalism 101: How to Tell a Story with Data

There’s no denying the value of metrics, no matter what industry you serve and protect. The right data helps determine how effective a program or solution is, providing hard numbers that can support how security initiatives are helping the larger mission of an organization.

But it’s not enough to have the data—you also need to know how to use it. To prove that a security initiative or other investment has been successful, leaders need to not only show the C-suite the numbers, but also the story that the numbers tell.

If you think that it might be easier to draw blood from a stone, then consider the methods that data journalists use to create engaging and impactful stories from data, courtesy of the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN), a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and strengthening investigative journalism.

What is Data Journalism?

Data journalism has been around for decades. It began as a specific discipline in the 1960s and has since grown, especially with advances in technology and the Internet.

Journalists rely on public data and data sets to build various stories. Sources can include business registries, court records, international organizations like the United Nations, law enforcement data, other public databases, NGO websites, property registries, and more.

Reporters can use the data in an investigation into an issue or find a story from the data itself. Incredible data stories are produced year-after-year, spotlighting trends and incidents that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. This past year, some significant data journalism looked at how the Chinese government is suppressing and trying to erase Islam (Financial Times), the bias of generative AI models when it comes to perpetuating stereotypes (Bloomberg), the rise of extrajudicial executions in Bangladesh (Detra News), and more.

In this kind of journalism, data gathering and analysis helps reveal systemic issues and spot patterns and anomalies. This information can be used to report stories that are of interest to the public, highlighting what might be hidden among the numbers and creating an impactful story.

Getting from Numbers to a Story

Once the data has been obtained and verified, leverage six key journalistic steps to help you stay focused on turning the numbers and metrics into a story that your stakeholders can follow, keeping the human component and interest alive. Although this checklist was originally created with journalists in mind, it still presents a way to tackle the data and help translate it into a quick and effective story that can grab the attention of your audience—whether that’s the C-suite or your own team!

1. What’s the story? You’ve looked through the data and understand what all those numbers are telling you. At this point, it’s easy to get lost in the weeds, but you can avoid that by focusing on an overall story that the data tells. Try to narrow down the story even further by focusing on what the best pitch or highlight from that story might be. If you feel lost, talk to peers, colleagues, or supervisors to gain the benefit of a fresh set of eyes.
   
   
2. Planning and mapping the story out. “Mapping the findings into a storyboard helps organize and define the aspects of a good story,” according to the GIJN. Use this planning phase to identify the players, the overall plot of the story, and more. This can help identify the engaging storyline or hook from the data.
   
   
3. Time for the elevator pitch. Now it’s time to determine the headline from all the numbers so others can understand it, too. If you only have 30 seconds to summarize what the data indicates, what would you say?
   
   
4. Due diligence. Great data stories go hand in hand with great reporting, so you have to do your due diligence and ensure that the data accurately represents what’s actually occurring. Check with sources, conduct site visits, scrutinize methods and the tools used to record the data, and more.
   
   
5. Write the story. Writing isn’t easy for everyone—even journalists! “The biggest challenge for data-driven stories is bringing the findings to life through coherent and engaging stories,” the GIJN acknowledged. It can help to overcome the challenge (and dread) of a blank page by outlining or diagraming the narrative before you start writing in earnest.
   
   
6. Data downloads, clarifications, and visualizations. What data can you share with the audience? The numbers can help improve an audience’s understanding of the topic, whether it’s through a graphic, other visual presentation, or perhaps a full data set—but be sure to know your audience and what they will find most useful. “It is also important to consider writing a methodology companion piece that explains the nature of the data, and how the work with the data was conducted,” according to the GIJN.
   
   

Ultimately, “the great thing about data stories is that they present an opportunity to play around with a number of methods to get the data across,” the GIJN said.

Sara Mosqueda is associate editor for Security Management. Connect with her on LinkedIn or email her at [email protected].