Introduction to data journalism: Taming the numbers

As governments and institutions release more data, complex numbers have become an important part of many stories. Data journalism is now a skill that can set you apart in a competitive job market.

Course tutor: Paul Bradshaw
Date: 4 September 2013
Time: 10:00-17:00
Venue: LMG Training Centre, Southwark, SE1 8NJ
Number of places: 10 max
Cost: £200 + VAT

This course takes takes place in an IT suite

This course is aimed at journalists and editors who want to understand data and how to use it in on-going features and standalone stories.

Course requirements: No previous data journalism experience necessary but basic Excel skills are a must in order to sign up.

This course will cover:

The basics of data files and formats
Sources of data
How to collect your own data
Free and low-cost tools to analyse and visualise data
Editorial planning for data

You will leave with an understanding of:

How to design news features with data in mind
How to extract data from PDFs
How to use Google Docs for data collection
How to visualise data, including charts, graphs and maps

About Paul Bradshaw

Paul Bradshaw divides his time between being a visiting professor at City University, London, course leader for the MA in Online Journalism at Birmingham City University, and a freelance trainer, speaker and writer. His background is in magazine editing and editorial website management and he has contributed to several books about the internet and journalism.

In 2009 Paul founded Help Me Investigate – a platform for crowdsourcing investigative journalism. The site was shortlisted for Multimedia Publisher of the Year in the 2010 NUJ Regional Media Awards, and won Best Investigation at the Talk About Local awards 2010.

Testimonials

"Paul Bradshaw is easily one of the best trainers I've had since I started my career in journalism.

"He demonstrated an expert knowledge of the subject during a two-day training course in data journalism which he tailored on the fly to deliver a rounded understanding based on my existing knowledge.

"He focused as much on process as specific technique which has delivered immediate benefits to me in my current role," David Elks