ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the materials that make up data journalism, from data sets to tools to platforms. It considers the objects of data journalism to explore how technologies are shaping, being shaped by and impacting journalism epistemology. Materiality offers a lens to understand how the tools and technologies of data journalism interact, influence and are influenced by editorial decisions and processes. In the context of data journalism, then, investigating the tools and technologies employed by journalists offers a lens to understand processes of appropriation, integration and adaptation. As journalists are required to work across mediums and be more digital, maps and charts are quick and easy ways to create visual elements for online stories. Perceived interactivity comes due to the interplay of the three layers of technology – the artifacts of data journalism, the processes and activities associated with it and the know-how and skills needed to do it.
