Playfair Prize Workshop

Charts and economics: The bad, the ugly and how to make things better.

Date: 5 November 2018
Time: 3-4pm
Location: L5, Sciences Building, University of Warwick

The Playfair Prize, a new award for the best data-driven student journalism.

Ever since William Playfair came up with the first charts the power of plotting data has been clear. Setting out data points in a clear, concise and transparent way helped Florence Nightingale understand her patients—careful mapping of data points led to the cure for cholera. It means the data revolution we are living through has massive potential—it should help us understand social, political, economic and environmental change, allowing us to design policies that deliver better outcomes and head-off mounting risks.

We have designed a new competition that offers you both a challenge and support: there are some superb prizes, in addition to help from a new visualisation websiteLink opens in a new window, 1-to-1 assistance from our team, and the offer of data masterclasses at your university. The data wave is building, it is time to get involved.

At the mastersclass two of the UK’s best known economics journalists, Ed Conway (Economics editor Sky News, Columnist The Times) and Richard Davies (Fellow LSE, former economics editor The Economist) will share their insights into economics data journalism.

Topics will cover:

• Using data visualisation tools and data collection
• Questions to ask when analysing data
• Making economic policy arguments through charts
• Writing for a non-specialist audience

Bios

Richard Davies

Richard Davies is a research fellow at the LSE where he specialises in using micro data to answer macroeconomic questions. As well as economic research Richard works across journalism, public policy and the charitable sector. He was previously the economics editor of The Economist, and edited their Guide to the Modern Economy published in 2015; he has been Chair of Economic Advisers at HM Treasury and an economist and speechwriter at the Bank of England. He is a founding trustee of CORE economics education.

Ed Conway

Ed Conway is a journalist and author. In 2011 he became the first economics editor for Sky News, having held the post of economics editor at both the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph previously. He also writes a weekly column for The Times, often motivating his argument with new facts and trends he picks up from economic data. His books include 50 economics ideas you really need to know about and The Summit, an account of the Bretton Woods conference which established the IMF and World Bank.

Registration

Please note that due to the popularity of this event, registrations for this event is required.

This event is for staff and students only and registration is required in order to attend. Please note that the event is NOT open to the press.