BY: JACO PIENAAR

Mark Twain might have said that you get lies, damned lies, and statistics, but the new information age means more journalists are writing articles based on data than ever. In fact, data-driven journalism has been steadily building momentum since the 2010s and has become a force to be reckoned with today.

By definition, this form of writing is based on analysing and filtering large data sets for the purpose of creating a news story. Some argue that this assists people understanding patterns in data so they can make informed decisions. Cynics counter by saying data could be misleading or omissions might occur to suit the kind of article needed to sell newspapers.

But what does data-driven journalism look like? It is more than simply an article containing stats and facts.

Read more here.