Chapter 4 of Journalism 2.0 stresses the importance for journalists to let go of more traditional practices and embrace the new tools that they have at their disposal. The chapter says, “But if you cut through the rhetoric you’ll find unprecedented opportunities to do better journalism by embracing technology and transparency — two essential qualities for amplifying the important work of journalism in the digital age.”
Data collection and organization is the focus of starting to improve your reporting by supplementing it with a visual representation of data that is easily sorted, found and searched.
Databases are the quintessential example of this kind of collection. The use of databases can range from simply compiling a list of easily accessible contacts to crowdsourcing a story. Crowdsourcing involves allowing readers to compile their own information into a database, including pictures, comments or experiences on virtually any topic. Amazon, Google, and Procter & Gamble have all taken advantage of crowdsourcing.
Not only does database reporting and other new reporting methods offer an opportunity to create better, more in-depth stories but also allow for journalists to gain the trust of their readers in new ways. More people are able to contribute to the information as well as to review the accuracy and objectivity of the report.
In all of the ways that are listed in this chapter, new reporting methods are making journalism both more comprehensive and more transparent all at once.