Skelton wins award for data journalism
Vancouver Sun staffer recognized for innovative online work
Vancouver Sun journalist Chad Skelton has won an international award for his innovative work in the online field of data journalism.
Skelton was one of four finalists in the “Best Data Journalism Portfolio by an Individual” category of the 2014 Data Journalism Awards. His submission included an online income calculator, a commuting map, and interactive graphics and databases about provincial government lobbyists, Vancouver bike thefts and Lower Mainland auto crime.
He was up against two journalists from the non- profit ProPublica in New York, and Marc Ellison, who has published work in the Toronto Star, Vice Magazine and with the BBC.
The judges said of Skelton’s work: “Chad’s range and quality of work — from bicycle thefts to lobbying activities to income data — shows how much can be accomplished by journalists working on their own, from accessing and analyzing data to writing stories to building interactive visualizations.”
The winners were announced Thursday at a ceremony in Barcelona. Eight awards were handed out, and other winners include the New York Times, Washington Post, and ProPublica.
“I’m shocked and delighted to have won this award. Some of the people I was up against, like Lena Groeger and Al Shaw at ProPublica, are people whose work I’ve long admired,” Skelton said.
“I’m really grateful to work at The Vancouver Sun, where editors give me the freedom to learn new skills and try them out.”
The prize includes an award of € 2,000.
Sun editor- in- chief Harold Munro noted Skelton is a digital leader in Canadian journalism.
“This prestigious international award is well- deserved recognition for Chad,” Munro said. “We are very proud of the work he does for The Vancouver Sun, employing his database skills to create insightful series in print and online.”
Skelton, 37, was born in Kelowna and has worked at The Vancouver Sun for the past 16 years.