Let's Get A Job

Getting that first job is difficulty; let's do it together. Jason, a seasoned creative turned educator, talks with creative professionals about how they got their first job and the things they wish they knew when they did. This podcast is a deep dive into the "how and why" of creative industries as told by the folks in them. More than practical career advice, it’s a look behind the curtain revealing a story of shared journeys, spectacular failures, horrible clients, and fulfilled dreams.

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Let's Get A Job

Talking Data Visualization in Journalism with Anna Wiederkehr

December 07, 2020 • Jason Porter • Season 2 • Episode 15

This week Anna Wiederkehr (@wiederkehra), Senior Visual Journalist for FiveThirtyEight, discusses finding the balance of data visualization and written word by letting the numbers reveal the how or why of a story. Being a visual person, Anna breaks down how she learned to love code while taking us through a career roadmap for those who aren’t technically minded. We dig into how data journalism benefits from long format reporting over the noise of the 24-hour news cycle and discuss a future where we can watch augmented reality basketball stats while sitting in the stands. She talks about owning your small wins and allowing yourself to try the shitty ideas while also having a plan for any and all possibilities in case the data throws you a curveball. Finally, we discuss the rise of a collaborative newsroom and knowing your value as new type of creator in the traditional world of journalism.

Show Notes

p5 – a JavaScript library for creative coding
Processing – a flexible code software for visual arts
2020 Election Forecast
Anna’s Pinterest Boards
Visual Vocabulary
Data Vis Catalogue
Data Vis Project