Evaluating “exemplary data journalism” from Asia: An exploration into South China Morning Post’s data stories on China and the world

As more newsrooms practice data journalism in this age of big data through the use of analytical and visualization tools, much research on exemplary award-winning data stories continue to be Western-centric and associated with data journalism’s democratic role of scrutinizing government and corporations as watchdog. This study examines the news organization in the non-West that has scored the most wins in international data journalism awards, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post, to discover characteristics of the data journalism it practices, as its media operates within an environment with increasing government monitoring of the press, similar to countries in the Asian region subjected to various forms of authoritarian politics. Through a content analysis of 130 data stories produced from 2016 to 2020, this study investigates the topics that SCMP’s data team chooses to cover, how they are covered and the extent to which data journalism is able to work in the public’s interest amid Hong Kong’s increasingly complex political and social context. Findings show that even when stories are data-driven and evidence-based, with the use of diverse data sources and visualizations, topics related to China or Chinese politics tend to be approached with caution and the nature of stories more explanatory than investigative and less interactive. The roles of watchdog and interventionist are felt weakly in SCMP’s data stories, and the role of loyal-facilitator felt more strongly for stories on China than those on Hong Kong and the world, suggesting that data journalism may face challenges performing its democratic functions.