[ecrea] Call fo Papers Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism

Call for Papers: Statistics in Journalism and Journalism Education



Special Issue of Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism

Guest Editors: Jairo Lugo-Ocando & An Nguyen


Synopsis

Statistics are prominently featured in the news on a daily basis. In 
today’s increasingly data-driven society, resourceful institutions in 
every political, economical and social area resort to numerical data as 
a crucial tool to shape public opinion. The way statistics are 
represented in the news, therefore, has a potentially strong influence 
on the outcome of public affairs. Yet most citizens, and many reporters, 
do not have the knowledge and skills needed to process and read them 
critically. Some anecdotal evidence suggests that this has often led to 
an ill informed public who might apply flawed reasoning in their 
democratic participation. Other evidence (e.g. recent exposures of 
British MP expenses), however, suggests that when data are well sourced, 
critically scrutinised and effectively presented, they could effectively 
engage the public with related issues and mobilise them to take 
necessary action.



Beyond specific cases and peculiar observations, however, few studies 
have systematically examined how journalists perceive, access and use 
statistics in their news production and how this might affect the way 
people understand and respond to public affairs. This gap seems to be 
widened by the fact that statistics might require a journalistic 
treatment that is distinctive from other kind of “raw” information. This 
special issue of Journalism invites papers that examine these and 
related issues as well as their implications for journalism education.
Potential topics

The special issue is open to any paper exploring journalistic approaches 
to quantitative data in newsgathering and news presentation, public 
reception of such data in different contexts, and what journalism 
education can/should do to equip journalists with the essential tools 
and mindset to put numbers into good journalistic uses. Possible topics 
include, but are not limited to, issues surrounding the following questions:

1.      How do journalists perceive the role and function of statistics 
in their daily news operation?

2.       What types of statistics are often used in the news – and how?

3.      For what purposes do journalists often use statistics?

4.      What are the commonly used or misused practices in data-based news?

5.      What distinctive professional knowledge and skills do 
journalists need for sourcing, gathering and presenting statistics in 
the news?

6.      What operational factors (e.g. statistical knowledge/skills, 
source relationships, ethical standards and newsroom resources) might 
facilitate or hinder journalists’ ability to access and use statistics?

7.      How do statistics in the media affect the public’s understanding 
of and engagement with news and current affairs?

8.      How has journalism responded to opportunities and challenges 
presented by emerging technologies, especially digital media?

9.      How has journalism training/education responded to the 
intensifying need for statistical expertise among journalists?

10.  What effective training/education methods could be considered to 
improve journalists’ statistical knowledge and skills?



We welcome particular books in the area to review for this special edition.
Submission deadlines

·         Deadline for abstracts (250 words): 1st March 2014

·         Deadline for submission of articles: 1st September 2014

·         Deadline for final revised papers: 30th December 2014

·         Publication: 2015

All abstracts and papers should be sent in the first instance to Jairo 
Lugo-Ocando at (j.lugo-ocando /at/ sheffield.ac.uk).



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