The Role of Data Journalism Reports on Displacement, Climate Change, and Migration in the Eastern Africa Region.

Abstract

The Eastern Africa region has always contended with matters related to displacement and migration caused by conflicts and climate disasters, and as such, seeking refuge in the neighboring states. Data journalism carries various definitions, but in this study, it is a branch of journalism that relies on gathering and analyzing statistical data. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of data in reporting on displacement, climate change, and migration patterns across East African states. Audiences across various platforms access and rely on media for the gratification of information needs, particularly on critical subjects affecting society. This paper focuses on the role of media data and technology in shaping the public perception of displacement, climate change, and migration affecting the nations in the Eastern Africa region. Since media data has the potential to inform public agenda, the paper intends to unveil the contribution of data journalism in extracting contextual information for the users of these media. The paper is therefore anchored on media effect theories such as agenda-setting, uses and gratification, media priming theory, and media framing theory in data journalism. This study will analyze and interpret key reports, storytelling techniques, data scarcity, and related ethical issues from existing data repositories and journalists. The paper evaluates how journalists employ data to present unique stories, reveal investigative reports, and offer practical solutions for policy implementations.