Data journalism has many roles and responsibilities within society: it questions the past, present, and future states and processes of the world. Data journalism must use both the quantitative and qualitative methods of research to tell a holistic narrative. Its interdisciplinary nature allows people of various cultures, research and professional fields, ages, backgrounds, etc. to partner together in revealing and addressing the wrongdoings/ faults of various parties (no matter how “good” their intentions are). In Data Set Failures and Intersectional Data, Nikki Stevens exposes how traditional methods and corporate interests seeped through their OSC project, despite being “the first step in a project to create safer spaces within OSC for individuals from marginalized groups”. Other cases where data journalism uncovers the truth is shown in “One Size Fits Man”, where it’s revealed smartphones and pianos are built for the bodies of unmarked end users, usually that of the affluent white man.
It is responsible for being grounded in black feminist scholarship, disability justice, design justice, and queer theory. It is at the helm of empowering the public to think critically about the topic at hand and data ethics in general. Moreover, as mentioned in the podcast Becoming Data: Data and Humanity, data journalism fights against techno-chauvinism, the widespread concept coined by Meredith Broussard that states accelerated technology will save the world from all its problems. For instance, Lam Thuy Vo mentions how the current landscape of data collection of the most marginalized groups favors the deficit narrative. Lam provides a hypothetical example of a woman of color’s profile consisting of more “negative datasets” like records with law enforcement and child services than the “positive datasets” of measures she has taken to sustain her family’s well-being (e.g. maintaining the family finances).
It is the duty of data journalism to use visual storytelling and narratives to help the public more easily understand the context and key players, use stories of anonymous people’s experiences to connect with the public’s humanity. As demonstrated in the OSC paper, the processes/methods that made the data journalism projects possible must be open to the public, so that they can be challenged and/or replicated, so the field of data journalism progresses in the right direction. Furthermore, it should assist the public themselves to know and use their own power in holding entities accountable.
This is a tangent, but I agree with what my colleagues have shared, that the government could provide funding to the programs (e.g. digital coalitions and libraries) focused on educating and uplifting the public in data literacy, so that people can understand and engage in various data journalism projects. Additionally, I think those of the public who have access to the Internet and privileges such as time, money, and holistic health are responsible for actively taking ownership of data being collected about them and going beyond raising awareness about the lack of missing data sets, which may protect vulnerable communities from being targeted or protect the NYPD from being held accountable for racial profiling.