A Look Ahead to 2026

<p>As a new year begins, Alberto, Scott and Simon reflect on the broader state of the industry. They discuss dataviz favorites from 2025, what they&#39;re working on in 2026, and thoughts on the upcoming year in data journalism.</p><p><br></p><p>Work mentioned in the episode:</p><ul><li><a href="https://cplusj2025.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Computation + Journalism conference</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/02/26/us/organ-transplants-waiting-list-skipped-patients.html" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">&quot;Organ Transplant System &#39;in Chaos&#39; as Waiting Lists Are Ignored&quot;</a></li><li><a href="https://cj-robinson.github.io/trans-model-leg/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">&quot;The Legislative Network Behind State Trans Laws&quot;</a></li><li><a href="https://publicintegrity.org/topics/politics/state-politics/copy-paste-legislate/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Copy, Paste, Legislate project</a></li><li><a href="https://projects.propublica.org/venezuelan-immigrants-trump-deported-cecot/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">&quot;The Men Trump Deported to a Salvadoran Prison&quot;</a></li><li><a href="https://www.reuters.com/graphics/BUILDING-FIRES/byprqyryzve/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">&quot;Buildings wrapped in solid gasoline&quot;</a></li><li><a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/show-your-work-makes-a-triumphant-return/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Scott’s Nieman prediction</a></li><li><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/743569/empire-of-ai-by-karen-hao/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Empire of AI by Karen Hao</a></li><li><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-ai-con-emily-m-benderalex-hanna?variant=43065101189154" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">The AI Con by Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/books/predatory-data/paper" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Predatory Data by Anita Say Chan</a></li><li><a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-02665-1" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Disabling Intelligences by Rua M. Williams</a></li><li><a href="https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/ai-engineering/9781098166298/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">AI Engineering by Chip Huyen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/798252/what-we-ask-google-by-simon-rogers/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">What We Ask Google by Simon Rogers (!!)</a></li><li><a href="https://openvisualizationacademy.org/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Open Visualization Academy</a></li><li><a href="https://www.journalism.cuny.edu/j-plus/ai-journalism-labs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">CUNY AI Journalism Builders Lab</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p>The⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠music this episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, made with⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠<a href="https://datavized.github.io/twotone/">⁠TwoTone⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>, represents Google searches for &quot;data storytelling&quot; overtaking those for &quot;data journalism.&quot; The Data Journalism Podcast is produced by Ozzy Llinas Goodman.</p><p><br></p><p>Do you have a new data-driven story or project coming up? Tell us about it at <a href="mailto:datajournalismpodcast@gmail.com">⁠datajournalismpodcast@gmail.com⁠</a>, and we might feature it on the show. Subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode!</p>