An Agenda for Developing Critical Literacies for Journalism Education in an Era of Datafication

Abstract

The advent of data-driven journalism has transformed the field of journalism globally, offering new ways to collect, analyse and communicate stories and information. In contexts such as Africa, where socio-political and economic contexts differ significantly from those in the Global North, the need for critical data literacy in journalism education is particularly pronounced. This chapter proposes and argues for developing critical data literacy skills among journalism students. It suggests that fostering a critical approach to data is essential for producing impactful, contextually relevant, and unbiased data-driven journalism. The chapter addresses the unique challenges faced by journalism education and presents strategies (an agenda) for integrating critical data literacy into journalism curricula.

Citation

Dralega, C.A. (2023), "An Agenda for Developing Critical Literacies for Journalism Education in an Era of Datafication", Dralega, C.A. (Ed.) Digitisation, AI and Algorithms in African Journalism and Media Contexts, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 155-160. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80455-135-620231010