You can find your group on BruinLearn. Please let me know if you encounter an error.
Data is powerful, but in a world saturated with facts and figures, it can be hard to break through to people. We also need to give them a reason to care. Storytelling is a way to connect with people’s innate predilection for narrative.
For this group assignment, you’ll identify an issue of importance to you and your group members and tell a compelling story about it, using a dataset as evidence. While the data is important, it’s only part of the assignment. Your dataset should be embedded in a story that engages readers, shows them why they should care about your issue, makes a persuasive case, and moves people to action.
Once you’re assigned to a group, you should find a time to meet approximately weekly, beginning in late April. Periodically, I will ask you to report via BruinLearn on your group’s activities together.
In order to stay on track, you’ll be expected to complete each of the milestones by the dates below and come to class prepared to discuss your work.
| Milestone | Date | Type |
| A | Tues., April 28 | Identify dataset |
| B | Tues., May 5 | Big idea |
| C | Tues., May 12 | Storyboard |
| D | Tues., May 19 | Dataviz ideas |
| E | Tues., May 26 | Outline |
| F | Tues., June 2 | Rough draft |
| G | Tues., June 9 | Final draft |
View and subscribe to calendar.
Project requirements
While you have some latitude in determining the look, feel, and content of your project, there are a few requirements to bear in mind. You might also be interested in the grading rubric.
Narrative
The narrative (text) component of the project should be around 3,000 words—about the length of a magazine feature story. The narrative should concisely explain the issue you’re writing about, provide context for the data you’re presenting, give your readers a strong reason to care about the issue, and argue for a particular approach to the issue. The narrative should make it clear that you’ve thoroughly researched and understood the issue. You do not need to include citations, but you should hyperlink references to other work as appropriate.
Data visualizations
You should include at least four data visualizations (a map counts as a data visualization) that are closely integrated with the narrative. The visualizations should serve as building blocks for your argument or provide context for understanding the issue. Pay attention to how your visualizations bring together and convey information that might otherwise be overwhelming. For example, the piece on the Japanese runway collision integrates many data points into a “ticking clock” narrative.
Look and feel
The keyword for the project as a whole should be “compelling.” The design of your story should contribute to the sense that your issue is important and that your solution is critical. Pay attention to “hooking” the reader at the beginning of the piece, illuminating stories that give people a reason to care, and conveying a sense of weight and urgency.
For example, the article on fentanyl absorbs the reader from the beginning with an animation that concisely provides critical background information. “The Human Trap” uses sound, shows us actual documents, and highlights the voices of individual people in order to combat the tendency to tune out international news. The piece on Myanmar’s scam centers confronts the reader with multiple photographs that both provide information and inspire emotion.
To publish your piece, I recommend using Shorthand. If you have a compelling reason to use another platform, please talk with me about it.
Examples
Here are some works that combine data with narrative to send a compelling message.
- Fentanyl Route from China to the US, Reuters
- Danube Warming Up, Atlo
- Tokyo Runway Collision, Nikkei Asia
- Is the Love Song Dying?, The Pudding
- The Human Trap, Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism
- Stranded at Sea, Reuters
- Myanmar’s Proliferating Scam Centers, Nikkei Asia
Questions to ask:
- What is the first thing you see on the page? Why?
- When does data enter the story?
- What role do the stories of individuals or groups play?
- How do you navigate the work? Why?
- What role do images, video, and audio play?
- How do the authors move between data and context?
- How are data visualizations labeled?
- When do the authors break the story into sections? Why?
- What do the authors say about their methodology?