Hobbling Across Bumps and Grinds: A Study on the Possibilities of Journalistic Reinvention Through Data Journalism in Rwanda

Abstract

All around the world, media scholars and journalists alike are enthused by data and computational journalism which they consider as an indispensable spice that gives journalism its true flavor by allowing numberless possibilities of telling compelling stories thanks to a wide range of digital information. This research aims to provide a picture of data journalism in Rwanda, a country often acclaimed for its recent technological and regulatory developments that have substantially transformed the media landscape in areas of freedom of expression, pluralism and diversity of the media. The regulatory framework in Rwanda promotes data access but journalists do not take advantage of it. Precisely, the study sought to delineate whether and to what extent media professionals manipulate data and visualize their stories and what effect this process has on their daily work. The findings gathered through online interviews with media professionals and content analyses of five publications point to an embryonic practice of data journalism whereby journalists literally hinge on statistics fetched from outsider institutions and predominantly presented with no analysis. While the majority of interviewees display strong commitment towards the practice, news houses seem reluctant to embrace it due mainly to the hurdles pertaining to the media itself such as limited resources and management will; journalists’ lack of skills and motivation; as well as the intrinsic character of the data-reporting practice including the fact that it is a complex and time-consuming process.