Ethan Owen
The two most important and interesting things I learned from the articles is that a data journalist should make sure that the data is valid and not to get carried away with the meaning behind the data.
The first common mistake listed in the article “How to avoid 10 common mistakes in data reporting,” by Catherine Sheffo is overestimating the meaning of the data. The interviewee in the article warns not to use data unless you trust the source and ask yourself if the data is misleading in any way. Using data that is not trustworthy leads to all kinds of ethical dilemmas for the reporter, editor and publication. A reporter also needs to be careful not to let their imagination run wild in trying to invent a story behind data that might seem weird.
The AP Stylebook entry on data journalism echoes the previous paragraph by saying that the data that is being used needs to be checked for validity and integrity. Like before, using data that is outdated or not reliable can lead to issues. The entry also asks good questions that need to be asked about the data one has before they do any work on it or publish a story to make sure the data is good.
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