Using data to illustrate a news story is widely seen in daily news reporting, whether it be for a newspaper article or TV news. Originally, I thought that the data journalists use were exclusively represented in tables and histograms. I never thought that maps could be used to illustrate data. This kind of data can really help journalists to better tell a story. The example of the “Crime in Chicago” map, which Mindy showed us in class, is really interesting and offers a very convenient and clear way for users to search the information they want.I think that while data like Google Maps can be used in all kinds of media, it can only be effectively used on Internet. This is due to limited space and interactivity in traditional media such as newspapers and magazines. Nonetheless, no matter which kind of journalists one is, knowing something about making charts or maps can be very helpful.

I finished my first chart the other day. Before I started working on it, I expected it to be very difficult. However, I quickly realized that to make a good chart it is crucial to find relevant data. I spent a long time gathering data to make my regressions more accurate and thus better illustrate the issues at hand. Still, I feel that I have a lot to improve in my data searching. Nowadays, everyone can search data on the Internet and thus the research abilities are vital to being a successful journalist.