Why people turn to data in a pandemic

Laura Grant | Alastair Otter

Data journalists Laura Grant and Alastair Otter ask an interesting question: Why do people turn to data in a pandemic? Every day, for nearly a year, the media has reported daily Covid-19 statistics. Infographics displaying insights about the state of the pandemic have become familiar to many of us. They are shared on social media and discussed on WhatsApp groups. Was there ever a time, outside of an election, when so many people were so interested in numbers?

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Laura is an award-winning data journalist who for the past eight years has focused on collecting and analysing data on public interest topics such as school infrastructure, climate change and, most recently, Covid-19. At Media Hack, she combines data analysis and visualisation with journalistic storytelling to make data accessible and interesting. Alastair has more than 20 years of journalism experience spanning both print and digital publications, and has more than 10 years of experience as a developer focused on producing media-related online products. At Media Hack, Alastair’s specialities are data visualisation and the development of online media products.