What is Data Journalism, essential tools and techniques and my personal kickoff with data-driven stories since summer 2015. A first version of this presentation was instructed on Wednesday January 20th, 2016 during Panteion University's MA in New Media and Journalism and BA Ad and PR Lab joint workshop on digital media and data journalism.

1. A Journalist’s First Six Months
with Data
MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University
January, 20, 2016
Demetrios Pogkas
Journalist / Business, Tech, Data
BA, Communications and Mass Media, University of Athens

2. A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016
What is Data Journalism
Using Data to Discover, to Build or to Shed a
Different Light to Your Story
Present Your Findings in an Interactive and
Visually Compelling Way

3. When It All Started
Data journalism with the form we know it today
starts with the 2010’s beginnings
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016

4. Is it Something New?
Using data to Uncover a Truth dates back to 1854
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016

5. Is it Something New?
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016
John Snow's data
journalism: the cholera
map that changed the
world. Simon Rogers.
theguardian.com/
news/datablog/2013/
mar/15/john-snow-
cholera-map.

6. Is it Something New?
Using data and numbers in media is not new
(visualisations, infographics, data tables)
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016

7. Data now becomes an integral part of the newsroom
(journalists & techies working together)
BUT
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016

8. Some of My Data Journalism Favourites
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016
In Climbing Income Ladder, Location Matters. David Leonhardt.
nytimes.com/2013/07/22/business/in-climbing-income-ladder-location-matters.html.

9. Some of My Data Journalism Favourites
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016
Hit-and-runs take a rising toll on cyclists. Armand
Emamdjomeh, Laura J. Nelson and Joseph Serna.
graphics.latimes.com/la-bike-hit-and-runs.

10. Some of My Data Journalism Favourites
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016
Message Machine - Reverse Engineering the 2012 Campaign. Jeff Larson and Al Shaw.
projects.propublica.org/emails.
Message Machine: “You Probably Don’t Know Janet”. Jeff Larson, Al Shaw and Lois Beckett.
propublica.org/special/message-machine-you-probably-dont-know-janet

11. Some of My Data Journalism Favourites
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016
Sospechosos viajes de Boudou: el Senado pagó viáticos por destinos que no visitó. Maia Jastreblansky.
lanacion.com.ar/1568445-sospechosos-viajes-de-boudou-el-senado-pago-viaticos-por-destinos-que-no-visito

12. Tools for Data Journalism (The Essentials)
• Scraping: import.io (www.import.io)
• Cleaning: Open (Google) Refine (openrefine.org)
• Analysis: Microsoft Excel / Google Spreadsheets
MySQL (mysql.com)
• Visualisation: Tableau (tableau.com/products/public)
Plotly (www.plot.ly)
Google Fusion Tables (google.com/fusiontables)
CartoDB (cartodb.com)
Mapbox (mapbox.com)
ChartBuilder (quartz.github.io/Chartbuilder)
• Code: D3js (d3js.org)
HighCharts.js (highcharts.com)
Python (python.org)
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016

13. Where to Find Your Data
• OpenGov / Open Administration Databases
• Public Authorities
• International Organisations
• Freedom of Information Acts
• Financial / Business Data
• Sports Data
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016

14. You Can Also Build Your Own Data
• Crowdsourcing
• Social Media
BUT
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016

15. My (Few) Experiences with Data Journalism
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016

16. Data Project #1: Forest Fires in Greece 2000-2014
Goals:
- How Many Forest Fires in Greece?
- How Much Forest Burned Down?
- Where Most Fires?
Data Source:
- Fire Service of Greece via Data.gov.gr
Tools Used:
- Excel for Data Analysis & Processing (Pivot Tables)
- Tableau for Visualisation
Challenges:
- Data not always accurate – mistypes or actual
entries??
- No geolocation points / turnaround through
Google Maps (only for first 100 entries)
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016
huffingtonpost.gr/dimitrios-pogkas/-data-blog_b_7911452.html
demetriospogkas.com/dasikes-pyrkagies-stin-ellada-methodologia-data-journalism

17. Data Project #1: Forest Fires in Greece 2000-2014
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016

18. Data Project #1: Forest Fires in Greece 2000-2014
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016

19. Data Project #2: Financial Crisis and the Athens Stock
Exchange 2009-2015
Goals:
- How ASE was impacted after capital controls?
- How ASE has fluctuated during the crisis?
- How ASE has performed after crucial political and
financial events during the crisis?
Data Source:
- ASE Data requested from HELEX
- Timeline of Greek Financial Crisis from
Wikipedia / cross-checked dates from Greek Press
Tools Used:
- Excel for Data Analysis & Processing
- Tableau for Visualisation
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016
fortunegreece.com/article/chrimatistirio-ke-krisi-apo-to-kastelorizo-eos-ta-capital-
control-data-blog
demetriospogkas.com/elliniki-krisi-xrimatistirio-methodologia-data-journalism

20. A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016
Data Project #2: Financial Crisis and the
Athens Stock Exchange 2009-2015

21. Data Project #3: Outcomes of the September
2015 Election in Greece
Goals:
- Delve into concurrent political and social conditions
of Greece through data
Data Source:
The General Secretariat of the Government, Union
of Centrists Wikipedia Page, Ministry of Interior,
Hellenic Police
Tools Used:
- Excel for Data Analysis & Processing (Pivot Tables)
- Chartbuilder for Visualisation
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016
http://demetriospogkas.com/recent-greek-elections-sorted-
out-in-6-graphs

22. Data Project #3: Outcomes of the September 2015
Election in Greece
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016

23. Data Project #3: Outcomes of the September 2015
Election in Greece
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016

24. Data Project #3: Outcomes of the September 2015
Election in Greece
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016

25. Data Project #4 (in the making): Global Oil
Prices vs. Fuel Prices in Greece
Goals:
- How much fuel prices in Greece have dropped comparing to the drop of oil prices?
- Why fuel prices don’t follow oil drop?
- How Greece compares to EU and EZ?
Data Source:
Ministry of Development’s Liquid Fuels Watch, ICE, EIA, ECB, EU Commission’s Weekly Oil Bulletin
Tools Used:
- Excel for Data Analysis & Processing
- JavaScript (HighCharts.js Library) & Photoshop for Visualisation
Challenges:
- No industry expertise – Have to educate myself first before the readers
- How to properly calculate and measure comparison between the two values?
- How to properly visualise outcomes?
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data - @pogkas MA in New Media and Journalism, Panteion University – 01/20/2016

26. Thank you!
www.demetriospogkas.com
demetrios@demetriospogkas.com
FB.com/demetrios.pogkas
@pogkas
A Journalist’s First Six Months with Data
Panteion University, MA in New Media and Journalism – January, 20, 2016