Documenting a Transit Nightmare with Greg Morton

Greg Morton is the data editor for The Baltimore Banner. His story, “Transit nightmare: Thousands of Baltimore kids can’t get to school on time” won first place at the 2025 Philip Meyer Awards. We sat down with him at NICAR to go behind the scenes on the project.Special thanks to the NICAR team for all of their support! The⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠music this episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, made with⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠TwoTone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, represents Google searches for the term “data journalism” since 2004. The Data Journalism Podcast is produced by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.Do you have a new data-driven story or project coming up? Tell us about it at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠, and we might feature it on the show. Subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode!

Our very own Simon Rogers is coming out with a book on May 5th! It’s called “What We Ask Google: A Surprisingly Hopeful History of Humankind.” Scott and Alberto got a chance to ask him all about the research and writing process, as well as what Simon hopes people take away from the book. You can preorder it now on the Penguin Random House website, or wherever you get your books.Work mentioned in the episode:trends.google.comSome of the book illustrations on Simon’s websiteThe⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠music this episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ was made with⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠TwoTone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, an app that turns numbers into tunes. The Data Journalism Podcast is produced by Ozzy Llinas Goodman. Do you have a new data-driven story or project coming up? Tell us about it at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠, and we might feature it on the show. Subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode!

The Data Journalism Podcast went live at the NICAR conference! On March 7, Simon, Scott and Alberto spoke with the team behind ProPublica’s Meyer Award-winning series, “Life of the Mother.” Reporter Andrea Suozzo and Deputy Data Editor Hannah Fresques go behind-the-scenes on their investigation into preventable deaths after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Plus, a montage of mini-interviews from the halls of NICAR!You can find ProPublica’s full “Life of the Mother” series on their website, at propublica.org/series/life-of-the-mother. The Github page for the project is available at github.com/propublica/tx-pregnancy-loss-sepsis-analysis.Special thanks to the NICAR team for all of their support! The⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠music this episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, made with⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠TwoTone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, represents Google searches for the term “data journalism” since 2004. The Data Journalism Podcast is produced by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.Do you have a new data-driven story or project coming up? Tell us about it at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠, and we might feature it on the show. Subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode!

The Open Visualization Academy is a new open-access education project, spearheaded by our very own Alberto Cairo! It launched last month, and two of the other instructors, Hannah Dormido and Frank Elavsky, join us to talk about their courses. Check out the project at openvisualizationacademy.org.The⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠music this episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, made with⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠TwoTone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, represents Google searches for “data visualization.” The Data Journalism Podcast is produced by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.Do you have a new data-driven story or project coming up? Tell us about it at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠, and we might feature it on the show. Subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode!

MaryJo Webster is data editor at the Minnesota Star Tribune. She joins Alberto, Scott and Simon to talk about her team’s ongoing coverage of federal immigration troops deployed in Minnesota. They discuss analyzing data in a breaking news environment, and what reporters in other places can learn from the Star Tribune’s approach.Subscribe to the Minnesota Star Tribune to read more of their coverage.Work mentioned in the episode:Homeland Security presence in Minnesota dwarfs Twin Cities’ largest police forcesWave of immigrants file lawsuits to fight ICE detentionThe Trump administration calls them the ‘worst of the worst.’ Here’s what we found.Deportation Data ProjectTRAC immigration recordsData Mindset for Editors courseThe⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠music this episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, made with⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠TwoTone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, represents Google searches for “Minneapolis” in recent weeks. The Data Journalism Podcast is produced by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.Do you have a new data-driven story or project coming up? Tell us about it at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠, and we might feature it on the show. Subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode!

As a new year begins, Alberto, Scott and Simon reflect on the broader state of the industry. They discuss dataviz favorites from 2025, what they're working on in 2026, and thoughts on the upcoming year in data journalism.Work mentioned in the episode:Computation + Journalism conference"Organ Transplant System 'in Chaos' as Waiting Lists Are Ignored""The Legislative Network Behind State Trans Laws"Copy, Paste, Legislate project"The Men Trump Deported to a Salvadoran Prison""Buildings wrapped in solid gasoline"Scott’s Nieman predictionEmpire of AI by Karen HaoThe AI Con by Emily M. Bender and Alex HannaPredatory Data by Anita Say ChanDisabling Intelligences by Rua M. WilliamsAI Engineering by Chip HuyenWhat We Ask Google by Simon Rogers (!!)Open Visualization AcademyCUNY AI Journalism Builders LabThe⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠music this episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, made with⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠TwoTone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, represents Google searches for "data storytelling" overtaking those for "data journalism." The Data Journalism Podcast is produced by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.Do you have a new data-driven story or project coming up? Tell us about it at ⁠[email protected]⁠, and we might feature it on the show. Subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode!

The Trans News Initiative is a new project that tracks and analyzes news coverage of trans communities in the U.S. Our very own Alberto Cairo helped create it, and this week we're joined by three other guests who made it happen: Kae Petrin, Caitlyn Ralph, and Jan Diehm.Check it out at ⁠TransNewsInitiative.org⁠.Caitlyn Ralph is the studio director and partner at Polygraph, The Pudding's in-house agency. Jan Diehm is a journalist-engineer at The Pudding. Kae Petrin is a data and graphics reporter for Civic News Company.The⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠music this episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ was made with⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠TwoTone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, based on data from the Trans News Initiative. The Data Journalism Podcast is produced by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.Do you have a new data-driven story or project coming up? Tell us about it at [email protected], and we might feature it on the show. Subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode!

The Straits Times is Singapore’s most widely read print newspaper, and its online presence is full of innovative data visualization projects. Our guests this week — Charlene Chua, Hannah Ong, and Stephanie Adeline — are three of the young journalists making it happen. They join us to discuss their work and how the Straits Times became such a powerhouse of data journalism.Charlene Chua, Hannah Ong, and Stephanie Adeline are members of the digital graphics team at the Straits Times. Their work has recently won awards from the Singapore Press Club, the Society for News Design, and the Society of Publishers in Asia.Work mentioned in the episode:Climate change: How Singapore is saving its shores from rising sea levelsHow hawker signboards tell the story of SingaporeFlight of the common rose: How are Singapore’s butterflies impacted by climate change?How accessible is Singapore? We travel with a wheelchair user to find out.Inside the confusing world of women’s clothing sizesWhy handwriting matters⁠⁠⁠The⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠music this episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠ made with⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠TwoTone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, represents the predicted sea level rise in Singapore by the year 2100. The Data Journalism Podcast is produced by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.Do you have a new data-driven story or project coming up? Tell us about it at [email protected], and we might feature it on the show. Subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode!

Not since Ross Perot’s famous TV presentations using cardboard charts have we had a national figure who uses data visualization props quite like Donald Trump. This week, Philip Bump joins Scott and Simon to talk about Trump’s use of data, and how politicians more generally approach information visuals. Plus, they discuss Philip’s background, how he measures success as a solo blogger, and the future of AI in data journalism.Philip Bump was a columnist at the Washington Post for more than a decade, where he wrote the newsletter “How To Read This Chart.” Since leaving the Post, he’s continued to cover data in all kinds of interesting ways on his blog, pbump.net. His 2023 book, The Aftermath, covered the future of power as the baby boom generation recedes.Work mentioned in the episode:9/12 rallies visualizationMonty Hall problem simulator (more info on the Monty Hall problem here)“How Trumpworld inflates the perceived danger of the left”Ross Perot using charts on C-SPANPhilip’s coverage of Trump’s Hurricane Dorian chartPhilip’s coverage of Trump’s immigration chart from May 2024 and October 2024Trump and Stephen Moore presentation on BLS dataAxios interview with Trump on Covid numbers⁠⁠⁠The⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠music this episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠ made with⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠TwoTone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, represents votership in US presidential elections since 1856. The Data Journalism Podcast is produced by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.Do you have a new data-driven story or project coming up? Tell us about it at [email protected], and we might feature it on the show. Subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode!

Data analysis is at an inflection point, with new technologies entering the field, and increasingly more practitioners working outside of journalism. This week, Alberto, Simon and Scott reflect on how they got into data journalism, and what’s changed over the years. They discuss how each of their career paths took them into newsrooms — and then out of them again — and identify key takeaways for those looking to get into data visualization today.⁠⁠⁠The⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠music this episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠ made with⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠TwoTone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, represents Google searches for the word "webmaster" over time. The Data Journalism Podcast is produced by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.Do you have a new data-driven story or project coming up? Tell us about it at [email protected], and we might feature it on the show. Subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode!