

The Data Journalism Podcast
Alberto Cairo, Simon Rogers & Scott Klein
Hosts Alberto Cairo, Simon Rogers and Scott Klein will explore the latest in data journalism. You will meet the world’s top data journalists - and you will find out how they do what they do.
Subscribe to see how data is changing the world of journalism forever.
Subscribe to see how data is changing the world of journalism forever.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 31, 2024 • 27min
How the Pulitzer Center does data journalism
How does the Pulitzer Center create such great data journalism? Alberto and Simon are joined by Doménica Montaño, the Center's program coordinator for environmental investigations. Working with terrific data journalists like director Gustavo Faleiros and Kuek Ser Kuang Keng, the team produces groundbreaking data work. Doménica explains what it takes to make that work come to life.
The music this episode, made with TwoTone, is based on tree cover in Brazil.

Apr 29, 2024 • 49min
The Cool Grey City of Data: inside the San Francisco Chronicle's data team
Dan Kopf and Nami Sumida join Simon and Alberto to discuss how the SF Chronicle tells data stories, such as Sumida's recent exploration of the city's Japantown (sub required) and the WW2 internment that nearly destroyed it. The team discuss what makes the Bay Area such a rich source of data journalism and how the Chron approaches it each day.
The music this episode, made with TwoTone, is US Berkeley’s in-state acceptance rate.

Jan 10, 2024 • 27min
Anna Brand: data journalism for CNN
Anna Brand, Managing Editor for Data and Graphics at CNN Digital, discusses building a data journalism team, balancing breaking news and long-term projects, creating impactful evergreen content, collaborative work on mass shootings, and impactful career development resources.

Dec 18, 2023 • 44min
Holiday special: why data storytelling matters
It’s a different kind of podcast this week: Simon and Alberto talk about Alberto’s latest book, The Art of Insight, why data journalism is still a dream job and our approaches to working with numbers to tell stories. Find out what books got us here - and what we care about most, when it comes to data storytelling.
The music this week, made with TwoTone, is based on snowfall in Central Park from 1869 from this dataset, via weather.gov.

Dec 4, 2023 • 33min
"Hungary is a data journalism superpower"
Attila Bátorfy is a data journalist operating in Viktor Orbán's Hungary, heading up ATLO and pioneering the field in the country as a teacher and practitioner. Find out why he believes Hungary is the country to watch for data storytelling.
Music by TwoTone, based on data about rising Hungary's falling population. You can hear the full (long) track here.

Oct 12, 2023 • 1h
Data journalism at The Guardian
The Guardian's Pamela Duncan and Ashley Kirk join Simon to talk about how data journalism has changed since he was there, how the news organisation works today and what is coming next.
Music by TwoTone, based on data from this story about rising surface temperatures. You can hear the full (long) track here.

Aug 9, 2023 • 35min
Alan Smith: Inside the FT's data journalism operation
Alan Smith is a rare breed: he leads the FT's team of data reporters and designers, but has a background in the stuffy world of official statistics as former head of digital content at the UK's Office for National Statistics. Alan is also author of How Charts Work, a handbook on designing with data using the FT's principles.
He chats with Simon and Alberto about his approach to data journalism and how to make numbers accessible for everyone.

Jun 14, 2023 • 37min
Data journalism in Kenya, with Eunice Magwambo
This week we meet data journalist Eunice Magwambo, whose team has trained over 2,000 journalists in data journalism and visualisation and is part of a new movement of talented data reporters in the region. She talks about how data journalism in Africa is different, the appetite for data-led stories and the importance of sharing those visuals.
You can find more of Eunice's work here.

Apr 26, 2023 • 52min
Live from Perugia: Data Journalism in Small Newsrooms
Recorded live at the International Journalism Fesitival in Perugia, Italy on April 21, 2023. This panel brought together some great practitioners producing award-winning data journalism in small newsrooms and sometimes on their own. Moderated by Simon, the panel includes:
Yvette Cabrera, Center for Public Integrity
Miguel Angel Dobrich, Dobcast, Uruguay
Yao-Hua Law, Macaranga, Malaysia
Sisi Wei, The Markup, US
Great data journalism is often seen as a resource-intensive exercise that only huge newsrooms can afford to indulge in. But the speakers in this panel prove that's not the case. Working in small teams - sometimes alone - they managed to pull off some of the year's best work. Learn from their experiences, tips and techniques.
Organised in association with Sigma Awards.

Apr 21, 2023 • 54min
Live from Perugia: The State of Data Journalism Today at the International Journalism Festival
It's a different kind of episode! Live from the 2023 International Journalism Festival in Perugia, this session features co-host Simon plus the following great speakers:
Tara Kelly, data editor at the European Journalism Centre
Sondre Solstad is The Economist’s Senior Data Journalist
Moderated by Lars Boering, director of the EJC
The session looks at how data journalists work, who they collaborate with, and the latest trends and sought after skills within the field. These are just some of the questions The State of Data Journalism Survey 2022 asks journalists from around the world every year. From identifying favourite data tools to sharing thoughts on the future of the field, this panel discussion delves into the current state of data journalism.