Pulitzer-winning journalist shares 10 tips for stronger data reporting

Jaimi Dowdell is a Pulitzer Prize-winning data reporter with Reuters, but she doesn’t consider herself a data journalist, she told the Center for Health Journalism’s 2023 Data Fellowship class while delivering Monday’s keynote address. 

She’s a journalist that happens to use data as one of her tools.

“The best data journalists, which you have some in this room, are good at more than just data,” Dowdell said. “That's not the only thing that makes them. It's just one of the tools in their toolbox.” 

Dowdell shared with Fellows a number of key lessons, advice and pitfalls to avoid while reporting with data.

“Don’t treat data with awe.”

Dowdell warned journalists to question data like they would any source, comparing people’s trust in data to their belief in the wizard in the Wizard of Oz.

“Everyone in the Emerald City believes in the wizard and believes everything that the wizard is doing. And I feel like a lot of times we fall into that trap,” Dowdell said. “As journalists. we're taught to ask the people the questions, but a lot of times we give more reverence to numbers and data.” 

Dowdell pointed to ways in which people can use data to prove their point by selecting only certain aspects of the dataset. 

“One of the things that I think was really enlightening to me at some point was just like pulling the curtain back on the wizard, realizing that people can lie with data,” she said.

“If data doesn’t exist, consider creating it.”

“A lot of the best stories are stories where someone says there's no data,” Dowdell said. 

To better understand contact tracing in the COVID-19 pandemic, Dowdell and her team at Reuters created a dataset from surveys sent to public health officials. To investigate whether protective orders that sealed court documents were being abused to hide information, Dowdell’s team created a database of the largest product liability cases in the country and then searched for documents related to public health that had been sealed by judges. And for her Pulitzer-Prize winning series “Shielded,” Dowdell and her team created and analyzed a database of cases in which police accused of excessive force invoked a qualified immunity defense, from district courts to the Supreme Court. 

By creating databases that had yet to exist, Dowdell opened up new possibilities of what could be uncovered and reported on. 

“Don’t go in with blinders.”

Dowdell challenged reporters to “let the data and data analysis tell you what the story is,” rather than seeking out data that will simply support a story. 

“A lot of times I think we have an idea of what the story we want to write looks like or might be, and I think we have to go in and try to not direct the data to be what we want it to be,” Dowdell said. 

Dowdell recalled that in her reporting on qualified immunity in Texas and California, the data did not show what she thought it might. Instead, the reporting found “no significant differences in outcomes by the plaintiff’s race. In fact, white plaintiffs had a slightly harder time clearing the immunity hurdle than Black plaintiffs.” But a deeper dive into qualified immunity cases in Texas and California revealed that Black plaintiffs were disproportionately killed or severely injured compared to their white counterparts. 

“We were honest about our results and very transparent,” Dowdell said. “But it didn't turn out the way we thought it would and that is OK.”

“Don’t run with scissors.” 

Dowdell cautioned reporters that data reporting comes with great responsibility. Mistakes or errors in the data can lead to a completely different story. Dowdell said errors can occur if datasets contain mistakes, if reporters misinterpret the data they are analyzing, or if the data is skewed. 

“Data(sets) are created by people, right? So they're all flawed,” Dowdell said. “There are always errors with data. You just have to find what the errors are, what the limitations are, what can you say, what can't you say.” 

“Be open to opportunities.”

In late 2020, Dowdell began investigating conservation easements, which allow landowners who conserve their land for wildlife to receive tax benefits. At the time, she was unaware the story would lead her to  a former rocket and missile development facility in Southern California.

While analyzing conservation easement records, she came across a 1,900 acre property owned by Boeing called the Santa Susana Field Laboratory. While the property had been granted a conservation easement, she discovered that radioactive contamination had yet to be cleaned up. 

“It took me on a long journey that had nothing to do with taxes really, but it had everything to do with public health and the people fighting to get it cleaned up,” Dowdell said. “Anytime something comes up that is like, ‘Oh that’s interesting,’ follow it.” 

“Do not neglect the rest of the story.”

Dowdell once again reminded reporters that data is only one tool in their toolbelt. A story that relies on data alone often has less impact than one that paints a more complete picture. 

“The data isn’t everything, (a story) needs all the other pieces,” Dowdell said. 

“Always have something that makes you excited and happy professionally.”

“Always, always, always,” Dowdell said. 

She explained that even while she is focusing on other projects, she will have at least one story she is following that brings her joy and excitement. 

“Stay organized.”

Dowdell encouraged reporters to stay organized to save time and track their progress over the course of a long reporting project, giving examples of how she herself stays on track. 

For instance, she keeps an ongoing to-do list and weekly progress memo. 

“Don’t fall in love” with your data or story idea.

Dowdell cautioned fellows to avoid falling in love with an idea. 

“You have to be willing to pivot,” Dowdell said. “Sometimes we get so excited about what we think the story is and how important it is that we lose sight, and maybe the story isn't the story we're supposed to tell.” 

She also emphasized the importance of knowing when to let go of a story and move on to the next. Devoting reporting energy and resources to one article comes at the cost of another story that is going untold. 

“Take care of yourself.”

Dowdell was candid about the mental toll reporter’s may face when reporting on serious health concerns. 

“We have a lot of fun doing journalism, we get jobs that are really interesting, we get to talk to all sorts of people, but it's also hard,” Dowdell said.

She advised reporters to find outlets for the inherent stress of conducting intensive data investigations, whether that be getting outdoors, talking to a friend, seeing a therapist or finding a hobby.