1801 newsletter: Comedy genius, bird migration, and the sound of a political poll
I’ve got to say, this must be one of the strongest editions of 1801 on record. Before that: The Data Journalism Awards published a blog on the state of data around the world, from China to Kenya. The Economist wrote about how they’re trying to make data journalism flourish on social media and build a community around it. Spotify open-sourced a thing called Coördinator, which makes it easy turn an SVG into XY coordinates for some visualising fun. And here is a most delightful New York Times map from 1930. I won’t get all Guardian, but if you think someone you know might enjoy this newsletter, please tell them about it. P.s. would you prefer this newsletter en Français? En Español? 日本語で? Esperanto? I got you.
SOCIAL SYMPHONY — link
The polls are alive, with the sound of music. At least that’s what the Berliner Morgenpost has done to the polling numbers of Germany’s Social Democratic Party — by sonifcation of the ratings. The Guardian’s Mona Chalabi has played around with portraying data through sounds recently, both as a way of experimenting and improving accessibility for those with visual impairment, but this is one of the first times I’ve seen it in a formal setting. The piano plays out from their height of 46% in 1998, down to just 15% now. Best practice continues: annotations, poll of polls, detailed methodology, and even the music is available to download, along with sheet music.
SIDE SPLITTING — link
Some favourites have certainly emerged in this newsletter, and The Pudding is one of them. Each piece they release is wonderfully diverse, almost always with spectacular creativity. This one looks at a specific comedy routine by American stand-up Ali Wong, analysing it with precision and love. In a slider format, it unpicks her performance, teasing out how certain sub-themes, such as jealousy, metabolism, inner thighs, and HPV, are deftly woven together to create a “laughter climax” peak towards the end. There’s brilliant text analysis, barcode charts, and clearly-defined, well-reasoned points are made each time. The hilarious audio clips help too.
BILLION BIRDS — link
Scientists have been aware of bird migration, often across thousands of miles, for a long time. But only recently have we been able to map their journeys. This is stunningly presented by National Geographic, which had me simply squawking right from the swirling weather maps of a broad-winged hawk’s migration to the tide-like patterns of the yellowleg’s annual travel. Some birds migrate the equivalent of two round-the-world trips, and it can often be treacherous. Seven species are covered, each with a different migration strategy. And a lovely touch is you can listen to them sing. It’s pleasing to see a publication transfer its print prowess to digital.
SATELLITE SYRIA — link
The BBC’s digital work is often kept on a leash by their strict rules around accessibility, both in terms of audience and technical experimentation. But they do, of course, put out some great work nonetheless. This analysis of the damage being done to Eastern Ghouta, Syria, which is close to Damascus, makes for a depressing read. Each image or map reveals yet another layer of destruction in a country that has been ravaged by civil war for many years now. One map shows how major damage has spread in just a few months, Juxtapose sliders make it even clearer. It’s a devastating document.
BRAZILIAN BURGLARS — link
My ignorance about world media continues to be revealed with my discovery of the Estadão de São Paulo. I had never heard of it until just now, but it was founded in 1875 and they have some six million followers on Twitter. New data released by the state surveyed more than 400,000 car robberies in Greater São Paulo over the past decade, and Estadão found that there was a shift from these crimes taking place in the city centre to the suburbs. Why did this happen? Better policing in the centre, and perhaps greater income in the outskirts leading to larger car ownership. It’s in a fine map scrollyteller, one part animating over time, and there are good case studies.
FOOD4THOUGHT
The breadline in a very real sense.
That’s all for this week’s newsletter. Please tell me if there’s something cool you’ve done or have seen that I should check out.
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