Data Journalism and the COVID‑19 Disruption offers an international, multidisciplinary account of how and to what extent the COVID‑19 pandemic has been a blessing for data journalism.
Bringing together insights into current developments in data journalism during (and since the onset of) the COVID‑19 pandemic from world‑leading data journalism practitioners and academics, this book draws on case studies and examples from different countries to critically reflect on emerging data journalism practices during the pandemic and their sustainability and implications for journalism and newsroom work in the post‑pandemic era. The chapters document changes in the practice and integration of data journalism into newsrooms and the 24/7 news cycle after the unexpected onset of the pandemic and explore how newsrooms and journalists are coping with the sudden and immense demand for data journalism and related challenges. This book also scrutinises the implications for understanding the roles played by newsroom structure and operation, the uncertain nature of data, and the relationship between journalism and other social entities such as audiences and the state in journalism’s development through times of crisis.
Offering a timely contribution to the discussions on how data journalism evolved during a time of crisis, this volume will appeal to scholars and students of data journalism, journalism practice, media and communication studies, and media industry studies.
Edited by:
Jingrong Tong (University of Sheffield UK.)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781032550787
ISBN 10: 1032550783
Series: Routledge Research in Journalism
Pages: 246
Publication Date: 26 December 2025
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Introduction Part 1: Data journalism practices: achievements, changes and challenges Chapter 1 Four shifts in data journalism practice during the COVID-19 pandemic Chapter 2 Communicating uncertainty in data journalism during the Covid-19 pandemic Chapter 3 Data journalism and investigative news reporting practices during the pandemic: the case of Zimbabwe and South Africa Chapter 4 Beyond the Numbers: Spotlight on Data and Citizen Journalism During Australia's Covid-19 Crisis Chapter 5 The ethics of data journalism in a pandemic Part 2: Data journalism and the newsroom Chapter 6 Automating the COVID-19 story in the newsroom Chapter 7 Data journalism practices during COVID-19 in the main Spanish newspapers: features of data-driven stories and the influence of the pandemic on newsrooms Chapter 8 Longitudinal Reporting and the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Need for Integrated Newsroom Data Practice Part 3: Data journalism and its audiences Chapter 9 Factors influencing audience engagement with COVID-19 data visualisations: a case study Chapter 10 The audience turn in Data Journalism: How do data journalists conceptualize and perform audience engagement? Chapter 11 Trustworthiness, Accuracy, and Transparency: The Audience’s Perceptions of How the Audience Perceived Errors in Data Journalism Part 4: Data journalism, data, and external entities Chapter 12 From Restrictions on Freedom of Expression and Access to COVID-19: Open-Source Data in Investigative Arab Journalism Chapter 13 Shaping Data Journalism in Times of Crisis: Critical Perspectives on the Role of the State Chapter 14 Data Journalism and Public Health during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: Opportunities and Challenges to Improve Pandemic Preparedness and Research Conclusion
Jingrong Tong is Senior Lecturer in Digital News Cultures at the University of Sheffield. She is the author of Data for Journalism: Between Transparency and Accountability and seven other books. Her current research focuses on media freedom, the impact of digital technology on journalism, and social media communication of social issues.
