Journalists using big data more often in reporting

(Rock Hill, S.C.) -- The use of big data -- including information from maps, spreadsheets and large databases -- is becoming more important in the field of journalism. That was the message Gavin Off, data reporter at the Charlotte Observer, gave to students during a presentation last month at Winthrop University. "We're still journalists, we're still reporters, but we want to ask the data questions, to pull out information, to write better stories," said Off, who was a guest on the Palmetto Report. The Guardian's reporting on NSA files leaked by Edward Snowdon, Bloomberg's story on the deadliest jobs in America and the San Francisco Chronicle's examination of the effect of Airbnb on the city's housing market are often cited as some of the best examples of data journalism.