How can we convey the sheer scale of covid-19’s impact? This is something many data practitioners have had to grapple with over the last year. 

This data sonification from Jamie Whyte, is a fresh approach, showing the daily number of cases in the UK, since the start of the pandemic. It’s abstract, of course, and yet manages to feel quite eerie.

The New York Times’ front page as the US approached half a million coronavirus generated quite a bit of discussion in dataviz circles. Francis Gagnon has written a well-reasoned critique, arguing that 500,000 dots is too many. 

Events and more

It’s nearly time for NICAR, which will be held digitally this year between 3-5 March. If you haven’t signed up, the hashtag alone (#NICAR21) tends to be valuable.

For Swedish journalists, there’s a digital workshop series coming up exploring how to find data on public procurement. The first part is held on 10 March.