For most of my career I was a ‘lone ranger’, tied almost totally to reporting and print newsroom management, but always trying to seize opportunities to do data journalism.

The term ‘lone ranger’ cropped up in a data journalism survey done by Google News Lab in 2017. It describes lone rangers as “data journalists working in organizations of all sizes who are not part of a large data team”

Being a ‘lone ranger’ has its advantages and disadvantages; it is hard to find colleagues who can do some hand holding and guide you along the way. But you enjoy the freedom of not being part of an organised structure, of having greater flexibility in choosing your projects and generally doing it at your pace.

Opportunities for doing data journalism will depend hugely on how work flow is structured and also on the scale of newsroom operations in a particular organisation. The kind of work done will also differ - from small projects that do not demand advanced skillsets to those that do - to the extent that some data journalists end up doing the kind of work that front-end developers, programmers, cartographers and data scientists (to name a few) would do in a non-journalistic setting.

The career track of some well-known data journalists reveals that many of them began as regular journalists and then branched into data journalism. In recent years some have gone entirely the data journalism way - by studying it academically and then making a career of it. Others also work as data journalists in companies that are not part of mainstream media. Some, with a technology background or a dual degree, have ventured into data journalism. And there are those who take up data journalism along with other important editorial responsibilities. Some are technically proficient in an allied field like visual communication and align it with work related to data journalism. And so on….

The path

If it is an established team with diverse skill sets that is tasked with doing data journalism in an organisation, then it might prove difficult to break in from the side lines without possessing well-defined skillsets. If the data journalism teams are eclectic and the organisations flexible and open-minded, then you might end up being part of the team, or part of data journalism projects, if you have some basic skills to show and are prepared to learn as you go along. It depends on the vision and work culture of the media organisation in question.

It is not difficult these days to find learning resources these days for just about every kind of tool or coding language in circulation. Besides, journalists themselves share learning resources in various groups - online and off-line and on websites, including organisational and professional websites. They take up all kinds of projects and often share their experiences.

If you are journalism student or someone and wish to make an entry into the field, you could think of focussing on data journalism from the beginning. But then, be aware that you will be confining yourself to a niche area of journalism and job market demands might change from time to time.

Some media organisations offer data journalism internships these days and sometimes even fellowships and a structured learning environment.

The skills

To begin with one needs to identify areas of interest and acquire the relevant skill sets. Trying out new tools and and finding different ways of shaping your story in the digital realm should prove exciting and end up being the prime driving force behind your work.

So begin with a basic evaluation of the skillsets required (check out the ‘Getting Started’ section on this site). Some organisations offer open online courses, which could help you with the basics. Survey the core languages and tools and try to match them with your aptitude and requirements. Try to gain traction by doing some projects, on your own if you are not able to gain an entry into a team. And try also to gain an understanding of the scope of data journalism in your setting, wherever you are in the world.

Created: April 14, 2021; updated: April 29, 2021.