Representation of data journalism practices in the South Korean and US television news

Abstract

Few studies have investigated how television news is represented through data journalism. To fill this gap, this study compared data news content from South Korean and that from US television networks using the grounded theory method. The following differences were found: South Korean television networks ( KBS, SBS, MBC, and JTBC) highlight social issues, politics, and lifestyle; while American television networks ( ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN) cover the economy, social issues, and politics. Both television networks rely on government sources and seldom provide raw data. The South Korean networks use a static graph and an infographic most frequently, while the US networks favor a number pull quote and a static graphic. The South Korean networks prefer complex, visually appealing elements (e.g., an infographic), while the American networks prefer less complex and less visually appealing elements (e.g., a number pull quote). The South Korean networks prefer the news forms of ‘visualization,’ ‘condensity,’ and ‘typification,’ and the US networks prefer ‘visualization,’ ‘typification,’ ‘condensity,’ and ‘completeness.’ The degree of user participation is extremely low in both countries’ networks.