Our Motto
As a creative studio specialized in journalism and data, we produce powerful new formats of visual communication. We are a young team with big dreams for data in the Arab world.
We combine data science, information design, and storytelling, forging a digital experience that informs the public.
We like going beyond current events and the quick news cycle, and into deep reports that offer better understanding of the happenings around us. Topics we think are going to make for entertaining and informative visuals bring us joy.
Spreading all the knowledge we have through our trainings, workshops, and internships is a passion of ours. Also, every now and then we like to produce our own data-driven stories, ones we truly care about.
How InfoTimes was born
At an International Center for Journalists camp for digital storytelling, I was inspired to establish the first data-focused platform in the Arab region. There is a worldwide hike in the importance of data, so why not create a desk to serve the region?
InfoTimes got a 25.000$ grant from Synergos foundation in 2013, and went full speed ahead. Because of our hands-on expertise around visualization challenges and data-heavy projects, we have, over the past seven years, produced more than 100 projects, won several awards, and trained more than 700 people in the data field.
We are on a journey to reshaping the future of journalism in the Middle East in a manner that makes it objective, factual, and enjoyable.
Our Manifesto
- 1. We are a diverse newsroom, we believe that journalism is not a monopoly for journalists anymore, our team are all data nerds, the journalists, developers, designers and data scientists
- 2. We hold that how journalism is produced and offered can be enhanced. Clickbait and news are not our thing, but rather deep, quality stories.
- 3. We believe that automated reporting can never replace journalists. The best stories come from humans, for humans.
- 4. Yet such stories can be made better with the aid of all the technology we have at hand.
- 5. Technology has been developing journalistic styles for decades, and what we do is merge modern technology and with traditional journalism.
- 6. We believe that in this era, full of misinformation and fake news, data as a source to get closer to the truth is of major importance.
- 7. We’re not (only) after the money. We are open to collaboration with civil society, small media entities, and NGOs. We work to improve storytelling and journalism for all those that have a story to tell.
- 8. We will not help in spreading lies or in spinning information. Our projects and stories are independent and objective.
- 9. We seek to open data, both government and non-government in order to improve access to information and promote informed decision-making.
- 10. We believe in recycling knowledge, and hence we have an academy that offers trainings, workshops, and internships.
Awards
2013
2015
2016
2018
Featured in the news
Interview with BBC: Why data Journalism is important now to journalists?
20.06.2015
Data Journalism. Independent and profitable media.
05.08.2016
