Critique: ACJ’s License to Betray

My critique is on the data story done by the Atlanta Journal Constitution on how doctors with a long history of sex abuse systematically get away with it and why.

The story is meticulously investigated and powerfully written, and underscores a way data could be used in investigative stories - to reveal the system. The story doesn’t appear to be number heavy or has a heavy dose of original court documents (albeit it does have quite a few), but the number and documents the journalists chose showed how systematic the tolerance for doctors’ sexual abuse is. Interviews with sources and reconstructed scenes make up the emotionally compelling part of the story.

One thing I found interesting and creative in the story is that it used illustrations, not just words, to reconstruct scenes. One can say that it’s a special form of data visualization that may be deployed in suitable circumstances. The problem with illustrations, though, is that the words on those pictures are too small to be read on the phone.

Another element I think is not ideal is the quotes chosen to be linked on Twitter - they are far from the most compelling!