4 key takeaways from The State of Data Journalism Survey 2023

With 776 people taking part in the survey’s third edition, the findings reveal powerful insights about the industry’s demographics, challenges, tools, and work practices. The State of Data Journalism Survey 2023 also includes two new special modules on OSINT and Artificial Intelligence – two speciality areas that have greatly impacted the field of data journalism in recent years. 

The 2023 edition also marks an important milestone: The State of Data Journalism Survey is now the longest-running survey for benchmarking the data journalism industry, with previous surveys conducted in 2021 and 2022.

Some key takeaways from this year’s survey compared to previous years include the following: 

1) Closing the gender gap in data journalism

More women are entering the field than ever before, but many of them are at the beginning of their careers, identifying as recent graduates or new to the field. Meanwhile, men make up the majority of senior and more highly skilled data journalists.

2) Better access to quality data still remains a problem for data journalists

Access to quality data remains one of the top challenges faced by data journalists year after year, as shown in all three survey editions. The 2023 results reveal that data journalists in the Global North appear to have better data accessibility than their counterparts in the Global South.

3) The most popular data sources for data journalists

Public official governmental data is the most commonly used type of data, highlighting its crucial role in data journalism. The use of FOI-obtained data, which is subject to regional variations, demonstrates differences in data-sourcing practices and the importance of legal frameworks in accessing information.

4) AI and OSINT integrated into data journalism

Despite growing interest in AI and OSINT in the newsroom, only a small portion of data journalists have incorporated both into their work, primarily for content search and verification, signalling a slow integration of advanced technologies in journalistic practices. The challenges faced in using AI, such as limited understanding and concerns over bias, point to the need for greater education and ethical guidelines in the application of these technologies.

To discuss the key trends and findings from the survey further, the European Journalism Centre is hosting a panel at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia on 19 April 2024. The panel discussion, “Conversations with data: What is the state of data journalism,” includes speakers Lars Boering and Tara Kelly from The European Journalism Centre, Ashley Kirk from The Guardian, Ben Heubl from Suddeutsche Zeitung, and Niamh McIntyre from The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. More details about the event can be found here.

A complete overview of the survey data and summary can be downloaded in the full report.