Data journalists. Analysis of the sociodemographic profile of the professional in Spain and Latin America
- Félix Arias Robles Universidad Miguel Hernández https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5910-1541
- Miguel Carvajal Universidad Miguel Hernández https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6547-6171
Abstract
Data journalism has become one of the most relevant specialties in the industry. Papers that study the discipline from different points of view are growing, but only a few inquire into the profile of the professionals, especially in the Spanish-speaking sphere. That is why this work explores the sociodemographic features of a wide sample of professionals in Spain and Latin America through a quantitative methodology based on a survey (n = 208), collected from an open database, published as a web directory (n = 296). The results reveal that this specialty engage more women than men and, even more clearly, younger than veterans. The research also detects a greater number of these specialized professionals in Spain than in Latinamerica and the concentration of these jobs in the main cities and metropolis. Finally, it is observed that data journalists usually work independently in small teams, usually with one or two people, and often as freelances.
Author Biographies
Profesor Ayudante Doctor, Vicedecano del Grado en Periodismo y subdirector del Máster en Innovación en Periodismo de la Universidad Miguel Hernández (UMH), donde también coordina los módulos de tecnología, nuevas narrativas, periodismo de datos y redes sociales. Su investigación ahora se centra en el periodismo de datos, especialmente en su intersección con la información local, los perfiles profesionales y la innovación en la producción y distribución. Ha sido profesor invitado en la Escuela de Periodismo de la Universidad de Sheffield y la Universidad de Leeds (Reino Unido), y ha impartido formación a periodistas de grupos como La Voz de Galicia, Vocento y Onda Regional. También coordina los proyectos periodistasdedatos.com y localdatalab.umh.es.
Profesor Titular de Periodismo en la Universidad Miguel Hernández. Doctor en Empresa Informativa por la Universidad de Navarra (2006), su línea de investigación se centra en la innovación y la transformación de las organizaciones periodísticas. Actualmente, dirige el Máster en Innovación en Periodismo de su universidad. Cuenta con dos sexenios de investigación y uno de transferencia.
References
Ali, T. (2017). Local news outlets are joining the data journalism bandwagon. https://bit.ly/3ulZUZt
Anderson, C. W. (2013). Rebuilding the news. In Rebuilding the news : metropolitan journalism in the digital age. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004
Antón Bravo, A. (2013). El periodismo de datos y la web semántica. CIC Cuadernos de Información y Comunicación, 18, 99–116. ttps://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.5209/rev_CIYC.2013.v18.41718
APM. (2020). Informe Anual de la Profesión Periodística 2020.
Appelgren, E., Lindén, C.G., & van Dalen, A. (2019). Data Journalism Research: Studying a Maturing Field across Journalistic Cultures, Media Markets and Political Environments. Digital Journalism, 7(9), 1191–1199. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2019.1685899
Appelgren, E., & Salaverría, R. (2017). Abandoning the audience as data producers: A case study of crowdsourcing in Spanish newsrooms. Conference Paper, (March).
Appelgren, E., & Salaverría, R. (2018). The Promise of the Transparency Culture: A comparative study of access to public data in Spanish and Swedish newsrooms. Journalism Practice, 12(8), 986–996. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2018.1511823
Arias-Robles, F., & López López, P. J. (2020). Driving the Closest Information. Local Data Journalism in the UK. Journalism Practice, 0(0), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2020.1749109
Ausserhofer, J., Gutounig, R., Oppermann, M., Matiasek, S., & Goldgruber, E. (2017). The datafication of data journalism scholarship: Focal points, methods, and research propositions for the investigation of data-intensive newswork. Journalism, 21(7), 950–973. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884917700667
Blackman, L. (2019). Haunted data: Affect, transmedia, weird science. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444819880585
Borges-Rey, E. (2016). Unravelling Data Journalism: A study of data journalism practice in British newsrooms. Journalism Practice, 10(7), 833–843. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2016.1159921
Borges Rey, E., Heravi, B., & Uskali, T. (2018). Periodismo de datos iberoamericano: desarrollo, contestación y cambio social. Presentación. Revista ICONO14 Revista Científica de Comunicación y Tecnologías Emergentes, 16(2), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.7195/ri14.v16i2.1221
Boumans, J.W., & Trilling, D. (2016). Taking stock of the toolkit: An overview of relevant automated content analysis approaches and techniques for digital journalism scholars. Digital Journalism, 4(1), 8–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2015.1096598
Bradshaw, P. (2013). Data Journalism. https://bit.ly/3LauLhF
Bradshaw, P. (2018). Data Journalism Teaching, Fast and Slow. Asia Pacific Media Educator, 28(1), 55–66. https://doi.org/10.1177/1326365X18769395
Buhl, F., Günther, E., & Quandt, T. (2019). Bad News Travels Fastest: A Computational Approach to Predictors of Immediacy in Digital Journalism Ecosystems. Digital Journalism, 7(7), 910–931. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2019.1631706
Burns, L. S., & Matthews, B. J. (2018). First Things First: Teaching Data Journalism as a Core Skill. Asia Pacific Media Educator, 28(1), 91–105. https://doi.org/10.1177/1326365X18765530
Carlson, M. (2015). The Robotic Reporter: Automated journalism and the redefinition of labor, compositional forms, and journalistic authority. Digital Journalism, 3(3), 416–431. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2014.976412
Caswell, D. (2019). Structured Journalism and the Semantic Units of News. Digital Journalism, 7(8), 1134–1156. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2019.1651665
Caswell, D., & Dörr, K. (2018). Automated Journalism 2.0: Event-driven narratives: From simple descriptions to real stories. Journalism Practice, 12(4), 477–496. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2017.1320773
Chaparro Domínguez, M.Á. (2014). Nuevas formas informativas: el periodismo de datos y su enseñanza en el contexto universitario/New information methods: data journalism and its teaching in the university context. Historia y Comunicación Social, 19, 43–54. https://doi.org/10.5209/rev_HICS.2014.v19.45009
Cheruiyot, D., Baack, S., & Ferrer-Conill, R. (2019). Data Journalism Beyond Legacy Media: The case of African and European Civic Technology Organizations. Digital Journalism, 7(9), 1215–1229. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2019.1591166
Cortés del Alamo, H.M., Elías, C., & Luengo Cruz, M. (2018). Periodismo de datos y transparencia al margen de los grandes medios. Revista ICONO14 Revista Científica de Comunicación y Tecnologías Emergentes, 16(2), 66–87. https://doi.org/10.7195/ri14.v16i2.1177
Costales, J. R. (2018). El periodismo de datos: una alternativa al fortalecimiento del periodismo digital en el ecuador. Universidade de Santiago de Compostela.
Dader, J.L. (1997). Periodismo de Precisión: La vía socioinformática de descubrir noticias. Madrid: Síntesis.
De Lara González, A., Árias Robles, F., Carvajal Prieto, M., & García-Avilés, J.A. (2015). Ranking de innovación periodística 2014 en España. Selección y análisis de 25 iniciativas. El Profesional de La Información, 24(3), 235–245.
De Maeyer, J., & Holton, A.E. (2015). Why linking matters: A metajournalistic discourse analysis. Journalism, 17(6), 776–794. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884915579330
De Maeyer, J., Libert, M., Domingo, D., Heinderyckx, F., & Le Cam, F. (2015). Waiting for Data Journalism: A qualitative assessment of the anecdotal take-up of data journalism in French-speaking Belgium. Digital Journalism, 3(3), 432–446. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2014.976415
Desai, A., Nouvellet, P., Bhatia, S., Cori, A., & Lassmann, B. (2021). Data journalism and the COVID-19 pandemic: opportunities and challenges. The Lancet. Digital Health, 3(10), e619–e621. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2589-7500(21)00178-3
Deuze, M., & Witschge, T. (2018). Beyond journalism: Theorizing the transformation of journalism. Journalism, 19(2), 165–181. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884916688550
Díaz-Campo, J., & Chaparro-Domínguez, M.Á. (2020). Periodismo computacional y ética. Revista ICONO14 Revista Científica de Comunicación y Tecnologías Emergentes, 18(1), 10–32. https://doi.org/10.7195/ri14.v18i1.1488
Fahmy, N., & Attia, M.A. majeed. (2020). A Field Study of Arab Data Journalism Practices in the Digital Era. Journalism Practice, 0(0), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2019.1709532
Faria Brandão, R. (2019). Challenging Data-Driven Journalism*. Journalism Practice, 13(8), 927–930. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2019.1647792
Felle, T. (2016). Digital watchdogs? Data reporting and the news media’s traditional “fourth estate” function. Journalism, 17(1), 85–96. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884915593246
Ferreras-Rodríguez, E.M. (2016). El periodismo de datos en España. Estudios Sobre El Mensaje Periodístico, 22(1), 255–272. https://doi.org/10.5209/rev_ESMP.2016.v22.n1.52594
Ferreras Rodríguez, E.M. (2013). Aproximación teórica al perfil profesional del ‘Periodista de datos.’ Revista ICONO14. Revista Científica de Comunicación y Tecnologías Emergentes, 11(2), 115. https://doi.org/10.7195/ri14.v11i2.573
Fink, K., & Anderson, C.W. (2015). Data Journalism in the United States: Beyond the “usual suspects.” Journalism Studies, 16(4), 467–481. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2014.939852
Flores Vivar, J.M. (2018). Algoritmos, aplicaciones y Big data, nuevos paradigmas en el proceso de comunicación y de enseñanza-aprendizaje del periodismo de datos. Revista de Comunicación, 17(2), 268–291. https://doi.org/10.26441/RC17.2-2018-A12
Graefe, A., & Bohlken, N. (2020). Automated journalism: A meta-analysis of readers’ perceptions of human-written in comparison to automated news. Media and Communication, 8(3), 50–59. https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v8i3.3019
Guallar, J., & Peiró, K. (2013). Introducció al periodisme de dades . Característiques , panoràmica i exemples. Item, 57, 23–36.
Hammond, P. (2017). From computer-assisted to data-driven: Journalism and Big Data. Journalism, 18(4), 408–424. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884915620205
Heravi, B.R. (2018). Data journalism in 2017: A summary of results from the global data journalism survey. In Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78105-1_13
Heravi, B.R., Mcleod, J., Eds, P.W., & Hutchison, D. (2018). Transforming Digital Worlds. Transforming Digital Worlds, 10766, 107–113. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78105-1
Hewett, J. (2016). Learning to teach data journalism: Innovation, influence and constraints. Journalism, 17(1), 119–137. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884915612681
Holovaty, A. (2008). In memory of chicagocrime. Retrieved from Holovaty website: http://www.holovaty.com/writing/chicagocrime.org-tribute/
Karlsson, M., & Sjøvaag, H. (2016). Introduction: Research methods in an age of digital journalism. Digital Journalism, 4(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2015.1096595
Kashyap, G., Bhaskaran, H., & Mishra, H. (2020). “We need to find a revenue model”: Data journalists’ perceptions on the challenges of practicing data journalism in India. Observatorio (OBS*) Journal, 14(April 2015), 121–136. Retrieved from http://obs.obercom.pt.
Kim, D., & Kim, S. (2018). Newspaper journalists’ attitudes towards robot journalism. Telematics and Informatics, 35(2), 340–357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2017.12.009
Koch, T. (2021). Welcome to the revolution: COVID-19 and the democratization of spatial-temporal data. Patterns, 100272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.patter.2021.100272
La Rosa, L., & Sandoval-Martín, T. (2016). La insuficiencia de la Ley de Transparencia para el ejercicio del Periodismo de datos en España. 1208–1229. https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2016-1142
Lewis, N.P., & Waters, S. (2018). Data Journalism and the Challenge of Shoe-Leather Epistemologies. Digital Journalism, 6(6), 719–736. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2017.1377093
Linden, C.G. (2016). Decades of Automation in the Newsroom. Digital Journalism, 5(2), 123–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2016.1160791
López-García, X., Toural-Bran, C., & Rodríguez-Vázquez, A.-I. (2016). Software, estadística y gestión de bases de datos en el perfil del periodista de datos. El Profesional de La Información, 25(2), 286–294. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2016.mar.16
Lowrey, W., Sherrill, L., & Broussard, R. (2019). Field and Ecology Approaches to Journalism Innovation: The Role of Ancillary Organizations. Journalism Studies, 20(15), 2131–2149. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2019.1568904
Manozzo, S. A., Giuffrida, A., & Berardi, M. (n.d.). UNIVERSIDADES PÚBLICAS QUE ENSEÑAN PERIODISMO DE DATOS EN LA ARGENTINA : CUÁLES , CÓMO Y POR QUÉ. 2(2019), 3–25.
Mellado, C., Cárcamo-Ulloa, L., Alfaro, A., Inai, D., & Isbej, J. (2021). Fuentes informativas en tiempos de Covid-19: Cómo los medios en Chile narraron la pandemia a través de sus redes sociales. El Profesional de La Información. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2021.jul.21
Mutsvairo, B. (2019). Challenges Facing Development of Data Journalism in Non-Western Societies. Digital Journalism, 7(9), 1289–1294. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2019.1691927
Nechushtai, E., & Lewis, S.C. (2019). What kind of news gatekeepers do we want machines to be? Filter bubbles, fragmentation, and the normative dimensions of algorithmic recommendations. Computers in Human Behavior, 90(June 2018), 298–307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.07.043
Palomo, B., & Palau-Sampio, D. (2016). El periodista adaptativo. Consultores y directores de innovación analizan las cualidades del profesional de la comunicación. El Profesional de La Información, 25(2), 188. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2016.mar.05
Palomo, B., Teruel, L., & Blanco-Castilla, E. (2019). Data Journalism Projects Based on User-Generated Content. How La Nacion Data Transforms Active Audience into Staff. Digital Journalism, 7(9), 1270–1288. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2019.1626257
Paterson, C.A., & Domingo, D. (2008). Making online news: The ethnography of new media production (Vol. 1). Peter Lang.
Porlezza, C., & Splendore, S. (2019). From Open Journalism to Closed Data: Data Journalism in Italy. Digital Journalism, 7(9), 1230–1252. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2019.1657778
Rogers, S. (2017). Data Journalism in 2017. In Google News Lab.
Salaverría, R. (2015). Los labs como fórmula de innovación en los medios. El Profesional de La Informacion, 24(4), 397–404. https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2015.jul.06
Sandoval-martín, T., & La-Rosa, L. (2018). El big data como elemento sociocultural diferenciador del periodismo de datos. Communication & Society Journal, 31(4), 193–209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tej.2006.09.003
Segado Boj, F. (2020). Research on social media and journalism (2003-2017): a bibliometric and content review. Transinformação, 32. https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9865202032e180096
Stalph, F. (2017). Classifying Data Journalism. Journalism Practice, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2017.1386583
Stalph, F. (2018). Classifying Data Journalism: A content analysis of daily data-driven stories. Journalism Practice, 12(10), 1332–1350. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2017.1386583
Stalph, F., & Borges-Rey, E. (2018). Data Journalism Sustainability. Digital Journalism, 6(8), 1078–1089. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2018.1503060
Tejedor Fuentes, L. (2014). La transparencia del patrimonio e intereses económicos de los miembros del ejecutivo y legislativo bajo el análisis del “periodismo de precisión y de datos.”
Usher, N. (2019). Putting “ Place ” in the Center of Journalism Research : A Way Forward to Understand Challenges to Trust and Knowledge in News. Journalism & Communication Monographs, 21(2), 84 –146. https://doi.org/10.1177/1522637919848362
Vizoso, Á., & Vázqez-Herrero, J. (2019). Fact-checking platforms in Spanish. Features, organisation and method. Communication & Society, 32(1). https://doi.org/10.15581/003.32.1.127-144
Witschge, T., Deuze, M., & Willemsen, S. (2019). Creativity in (Digital) Journalism Studies: Broadening our Perspective on Journalism Practice. Digital Journalism, 7(7), 972–979. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2019.1609373
Wright, S., & Doyle, K. (2018). The Evolution of Data Journalism : A Case Study of Australia. Journalism Studies, 0(0), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2018.1539343
Zamith, R. (2019). Transparency, Interactivity, Diversity, and Information Provenance in Everyday Data Journalism. Digital Journalism, 0(0), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2018.1554409
Zhang, X. (2018). Visualization, Technologies, or the Public?: Exploring the articulation of data-driven journalism in the Twittersphere. Digital Journalism, 6(6), 737–758. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2017.1340094
Format
Crossmark
License
In order to support the global exchange of knowledge, the journal Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodístico is allowing unrestricted access to its content as from its publication in this electronic edition, and as such it is an open-access journal. The originals published in this journal are the property of the Complutense University of Madrid and any reproduction thereof in full or in part must cite the source. All content is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 use and distribution licence (CC BY 4.0). This circumstance must be expressly stated in these terms where necessary. You can view the summary and the complete legal text of the licence.
