Become a Great Data Storyteller

ANGELICA LO DUCA is a data specialist and researcher at the Institute of Informatics and Telematics of the National Research Council in Italy. She is also an adjunct professor of Data Journalism at the University of Pisa. She frequently presents and speaks at national and international conferences and events about data storytelling, data science, data journalism, data engineering, and web applications.

• Introduction xv Chapter 1 Why You Need to Become a Data Storyteller 1 The Need for Data Storytelling 2 What Is Data Storytelling? 3 Analyzing a Story 3 Understanding the Data Storytelling Process 6 Making a Data-Driven Story 8 Delivering a Data-Driven Story 9 Case Study: Solstices and Equinoxes 12 Takeaways 16 References 16 Chapter 2 The Role of the Storyteller 19 Who the Data Storyteller Is 20 Three Types of Data Storytellers 22 The Apathetic Data Storyteller 23 The Authoritarian Data Storyteller 24 The Authoritative Data Storyteller 26 The Data Storyteller Skills 27 Humility 28 Sincerity 28 Vulnerability 29 Patience 30 Empathy and Openness 31 Flexibility 32 The Data Storyteller’s Role in the Story 32 The External Data Storyteller 33 The Internal Data Storyteller 33 The Absent Data Storyteller 34 Possible Scenarios in Which to Tell a Story 34 Examples of Great Storytellers 36 Steve Jobs 36 Brené Brown 37 Hans Rosling 37 Takeaways 38 References 39 Chapter 3 Making a Successful Data-Driven Story 41 Preproduction: The Data Story Script 42 Theme 42 Subject 47 Script Implementation 49 Production: Data Story Shot 54 Postproduction: Data Story Editing 56 Working in a Team 58 Takeaways 59 References 59 Chapter 4 First Act: Defining the Hero 61 Who the Hero Is 62 How to Extract the Hero from the Data 64 The Data–Hero Humanity Matrix 65 The Data–Hero Concreteness Matrix 68 Describing the Hero 74 Takeaways 77 References 77 Chapter 5 First Act: Defining the Sidekick 79 Who the Sidekick Is 80 Adding a Sidekick to Your Data Story 81 Discovering the Humanity of Your Hero 84 Presenting the Hero and the Sidekick: The First Act 86 The Hook 90 The Hero 91 The Context 91 The First Act’s Inciting Event 93 The First Act’s Buildup 93 The First Plot Point 94 Takeaways 95 References 95 Chapter 6 Second Act: Defining the Problem 97 Introducing the Problem 98 Problem Types 102 Describe the Problem 105 Communicate the Problem 109 Simplification 110 Use of the Five Senses 112 Takeaways 114 References 114 Chapter 7 Second Act: Defining the Antagonist 117 Who Is the Antagonist? 118 Various Types of Antagonists 121 How to Extract the Antagonist from the Data 124 How to Add the Antagonist to the Story 128 Presenting the Problem: The Second Act 131 Reaction 134 First Pinch Point 134 Second Plot Point 134 Action 135 Second Pinch Point 135 Takeaways 135 References 136 Chapter 8 Third Act: Setting the Climax and Next Steps 137 The Dark Night 139 The Climax 144 Next Steps 150 Structuring the Third Act 152 Takeaways 156 References 156 Chapter 9 From Making to Delivering a Data- Driven Story 159 Completing the Making Phase 161 Production: Data Story Shot 162 Postproduction: Data Story Editing 169 Starting the Delivery Phase 174 Takeaways 176 References 177 Chapter 10 What the Audience Wants and Knows 179 Defining the Audience 180 What the Audience Wants 183 First Plot Point 185 Second Plot Point 187 Next Steps 188 What the Audience Knows 190 Hero 194 Context 195 First Pinch Point 196 Action 197 Dark Night 198 Takeaways 199 References 200 Chapter 11 What the Audience Thinks 203 Introducing the Audience’s Thoughts 204 The Stomach-Heart-Brain Theory 209 Adapting Your Story 215 Hook 216 Inciting Event 218 Buildup 220 Reaction 221 Second Pinch Point 222 Climax 223 Takeaways 224 References 224 Chapter 12 Retelling the Story 227 Introduction to Retelling 229 You as the New Narrator of the Story 232 The Channel 233 Time 235 The Context 236 The Audience as the New Narrator of the Story 237 When the Audience Retells the Story 238 Why the Audience Retells the Story 238 Final Thoughts 239 Takeaways 241 References 241 Index 243