Meet SnapStat: explaining data and statistics to journalists

Whereas journalists generally tend to interview experts on any given subject, nowadays an increasing number of journalists use datasets for their news sources. This new way of collecting data calls for new skils. SnapStat uses visual explainers to help journalists interpret statistical data more quickly and more efficiently, and in doing so makes journalists less dependent of experts.

SnapStat is an initiative by I Hate Statistics a young startup based in Amsterdam which helps people understand and interpret statistics. I Hate Statistics was founded two years ago and mainly focuses on teaching students statistics working closely together with universities and colleges. When founders Pim Bellinga and Thijs Gillebaart started to expand their audience they decided to focus on journalists first. They talked to science and data journalists Maarten Lambrechts and Maarten Keulemans about their idea. “That’s how we discovered that many journalists have never been taught statistics during their studies. The people we spoke with strongly recommended us to start with journalists instead of the general public. Journalists are the gatekeepers to the reader,” explains Bellinga.

Mean vs. Median

The idea is refreshingly simple. When research institutions like Statistics Netherlands (CBS) publish datasets, the team of I Hate Statistics adds a short explanation. These so-called visual explainers demonstrate the content of the dataset within a few minutes. Where needed statistical concepts are explained to the user.

“For example take a dataset with the income of all Dutch citizens. According to this given dataset the average income is probably much higher than either your or my annual income. That doesn’t mean, however, that you and me are relatively making little money, it simply means that the one hundred richest people in The Netherlands are increasing the mean heavily. In our explainer we show journalists that in this particular case the median might be a better indicator, because datasets of this sort are very vulnerable to outliers. You might say SnapStat is a visual leaflet,” Bellinga concludes.

Already helping journalists

I Hate Statistics is currently talking to journalists and research institutions to find out which datasets are specifically relevant to journalism. They’re hoping for massive input from journalists who can already email the team at snapstat@ihatestatistics.com to ask for an explanation for a particular dataset. If they get more similar requests an explainer will be developed for this particular theme.

Developing a prototype

I Hate Statistics is working on a prototype for SnapStat, but are currently a bit occupied attending the first UN Data World Forum. On Monday January 16 the team will give a workshop and will be talking to journalists, experts and people who are interested in their mission. “It offers a great opportunity to introduce SnapStat to as many people as possible.”

The path to sustainable journalism

I Hate Statistics has set the goal to help five thousand people understand and interpret statistics with their datatool SnapStat. This upcoming year alone. The team will collaborate with other parties such as reporter Sanne Blauw from The Correspondent to achieve this goal.

This article is an edited translation of the interview by Inge Beekmans, which was originally published here.

Wanna read the interview in Dutch visit the SVDJ website.