In my next life I want to be Amanda Cox, data editor at The New York Times, and our Measurement Maven of the Month. For years I’ve admired the amazing data visualizations that The Times produces. Probably once a month I share them with my data geek friends saying, “This is the coolest data visualization ever!” It turns out that Amanda Cox and her team are behind those visuals.
From an article about Amanda and her roles:
“In January, The Times announced that Ms. Cox was stepping into a new role: data editor. She will help coordinate data work across departments, in interactive news, computer-assisted reporting, graphics and The Upshot, and pave the way for journalism using data to play a bigger role throughout the newsroom. She will also act as an adviser when big questions arise about how to think about and use data thoughtfully, without overstating what it supports…
“Using her statistical expertise, programming chops, an artistic flair and classic reporting skills, Ms. Cox has created or had a hand in some of the most innovative, thought-provoking and delightful projects The Times has leveraged data to produce.”
Data visualization is an important tool for finding insights in your data. The Times and Cox clearly are helping their reporters and readers get those insights. Here are just a few of Amanda’s award-winning data visualizations:
- The Most Detailed Maps You’ll See From the Midterm Elections
- How Birth Year Influences Political Views
- Heavier Babies Do Better in School
For more about Amanda Cox, read this interview with her at Simply Statistics.
The communications measurement world needs more people like Amanda Cox. Which is why we’ve named her our Measurement Maven this month. Congrats to Amanda Cox! ∞
