ABSTRACT
In the context of this chapter, ethics is about making sound editorial decisions along each step of the data-driven visual storytelling process: from the collection and acquisition of data to the analysis and presentation of information. The chapter focuses on the utilitarian usage of data visualization in the journalistic news media in comparison to other usages for persuasion or for artistic storytelling, which have different ethical commitments. Besides moral righteousness, acting ethically in data-driven visual storytelling can have positive outcomes for end-users. The chapter provides a range of ethical considerations that designers may encounter. It examines ethical considerations that may arise across the data-driven story production pipeline: in data acquisition, in data transformation and interpretation, and in the design and conveyance of those insights for consumption. The chapter describes why each ethical consideration is important and relevant to the principles articulated here, providing illustrations from concrete cases where possible.
