April 30, 2012
A major research initiative at Columbia University will help fill a growing void in journalism by working with leading newsrooms to provide actionable insights into what works best in digital news.
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Tow Foundation are funding the Graduate School of Journalism’s research with a combined $2 million in support. The research will focus on three areas:
• Impact: measuring how new practices and tools affect audiences and newsroom resources;
• Transparency in journalism: focusing on public data – what’s available, what’s not, and what’s useful and relevant to people’s lives;
• Data visualization: examining which visuals work best in informing and engaging readers.
Emily Bell, who was The Guardian of London’s digital editor before joining Columbia in 2010, will lead the project, working with technologists and newsroom leaders to develop new best practices. Research projects will be short-term, providing timely data and ultimately online tutorials that newsrooms can use to iterate and evolve.
Emily Bell: How a new research effort will help newsrooms determine what's next
Read the full press release
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