Data journalism represents a rapidly growing experience in HE courses in the European countries and media are beginning to appreciate the use of data, in a systematic and scientific way, for the production of journalistic content. Data journalism attempts to combine a technical approach to data based on finding “answers to questions” and the search of patterns and anomalies with the journalistic approach to research “interesting questions”.

Data journalism represents for journalists the ability to tell otherwise untold stories and to increase confidence in published news; indeed, nowadays the most important news media have their own data newsroom. The most decisive factor in the emergence of DJ is undoubtedly the availability of an incredible amount of material to be searched, selected, processed, analysed, compared and finally published in a journalistic form. The use of data analysis and visualization for communication is not limited to journalism in the strict sense, but it concerns the communication in general of both enterprises and institutions promoting transparency and accountability in their relationship with citizens. 

In this context the JOULE project aims to design, develop and test a joint blended curriculum in Data Journalism benefiting from the partnership from different countries, disciplines and economic sectors whether public or private.