4. The Strategic Value of Data Journalism

Data journalism is one of the disruptions that have sprung up in the past years and have changed the news ecosystem. Until recently, the academic literature suggests that data journalism has been a predominantly Western phenomenon with little discussion about Latin America. The practice appears to become an increasingly global phenomenon only now with a growing number of newsrooms worldwide embracing data reporting skills. Also, born in a “fluid and mutable” space, the practice is recognized by “different professional interpretations and activities” and a continuous “professional renegotiation and regeneration,” which presents further challenges to staying abreast of the evolving technology. Thus, this chapter embraces a mixed-qualitative research paradigm to understand the strategic value of data journalism, in other words, the degree to which particular actions are vital or useful to the production of data stories. Guided by an analysis of national and international awards and competitions that recognize outstanding work in the field of investigative and data journalism, we selected a number of practitioners to understand the important or useful actions to produce data stories in the region. Findings show that data journalism is deployed by following a perspective that looks at collaboration, tools, profiles, open data, and storytelling. By considering these aspects, data journalists found challenges and opportunities to show the strategic value of the practice in their organizations, which is typically overlooked until it is awarded.