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Markkula Center for Applied Ethics

Data Journalism Ethics

Data Journalism Ethics

Data Journalism Ethics

Tricky Questions Buried in the Numbers

"Good enough" isn't good enough if you are a data journalist. Even "accurate" isn't good enough. Participants in the 2014 Investigative Reporters and Editors Conference in San Francisco looked at "Tricky Questions Buried in the Numbers" during a panel moderated by Sally Lehrman, senior fellow in journalism ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. Three highly regarded investigative journalists and civil rights attorney Eva Jefferson Paterson, president of the Equal Justice Society in Oakland, Calif., highlighted the dangers of skewed data that could undermine investigative work at each step of gathering, interpreting and presenting data.

Here are their presentations, tip sheets and other useful resources to enhance your data journalism ethics.

Data Journalism Ethics Tipsheet
Three Critical Practices to Improve Data Reporting

Quill magazine
Avoid a (Biased) Data Dump: Article about the ways implicit bias can creep into data journalism

Storify
Expert data journalists emphasized the basic ethical principles of accuracy, fairness and inclusion when working on investigations.

Jennifer LaFleur, senior editor for data journalism, Center for Investigative Reporting
Go for Accurate, not "Good Enough"
AudioSlideshow

Eva Paterson, president, Equal Justice Society
Bias and Data
AudioSlideshow
The Implicit Prejudice

Ricardo Sandoval Palos, senior editor, NPR's Morning Edition
Bust Your Own Assumptions
AudioSlideshow

Chrys Wu, developer advocate, The New York Times
The Ethics of Confusion
AudioSlideshow
Nov 3, 2015
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