Tag Archives: explainers

Explainers — explained (unpublished extract from the Online Journalism Handbook)

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Explainers are one of the most widely used forms of ‘evergreen’ content. In this unpublished extract from the latest edition of the Online Journalism Handbook, removed due to word limit, I explore why they are so popular, what types of subject are suitable, and how explainers are structured.

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It’s not all about numbers: 6 ways that data can give you a story lead

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Changing figures: 'New data says X' Data leads to an interview feature or profile Data leads to reaction/action story Explainers, infographics + 'in numbers': topical context Explorers: interactives, 'mapped', 'you draw it' A story about the lack of data, or concerns over quality

It’s a common misconception of data journalism that the resulting stories will be all about numbers. In fact, the data is often just a stepping stone — it might take you to interviews, or help you find case studies; it might give you the spark for a feature idea without a single number.

Recently I was asked about these alternatives to ‘number stories’ by one of my part time PGCert Data Journalism students — so here are the 6 tips I shared with them:
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