Kerala Has the Data, But Where’s the Journalism?

In Kerala, a wide range of statistics and data are available at the government level on almost every subject. Yet, why are there so few news stories or analyses based on these datasets? This question was raised by Sreedev Krishnakumar, data journalist at Hindustan Times, Mumbai. The topic came up for detailed discussion during a one-day workshop organized by the OBC unit at Safi College, Vazhayoor, Malappuram. Alongside, another pertinent question was raised — in how many colleges in Kerala is data journalism actually taught as a discipline?

How can an authentic research report or the data within it be converted into a news story?
How can complex datasets and tables be presented in a simple, accessible way?
What are the tools and techniques available for this?
How can platforms ranging from Microsoft Excel to Artificial Intelligence be used in data-driven reporting?

The workshop at Safi College successfully explored and explained these questions in depth, marking it as a meaningful step in promoting data literacy in journalism.