ABSTRACT
Data and numbers do not make a news story; you need people and narratives to bring the story to life. This chapter explains how to blend analytic and anecdotal reporting and how to weave data analysis into your story. Data can point journalists to the most compelling and illustrative people to interview for an article, and a data-infused nut graph can give the story authority and credibility. The chapter covers best practices for integrating data into a story, how to characterize and present numbers and statistics in ways that readers can readily understand and rules of thumb for limiting how many numbers should be in a sentence or paragraph. Journalists should use only the most salient numbers in their story and allow readers to drill deeper by posting data online and creating graphics. Broadcast examples will be included here as well.
