Open data for media professionals: training class by Mediabaza Khmelnytskyi

The online training class "Open Data in the Work of Media Professionals", organized by the Institute of Mass Information journalist hub Mediabaza Khmelnytskyi, discussed the differences between open data and public information, its legislative regulation, and where to find open data.

According to the coach Nadiya Babynska, open data expert who consults international projects, open data is public information the format of which allows automated processing without human intervention, as well as unlimited free access and further use. Thus, open data is public information, but not all public information is open data.

Mediabaza Khmelnytskyi coordinator Olha Zahoruyko during the online training class "Open Data in the Work of Media Professionals". Photo by Maria Turchyna

Such data are indispensable in analytical and investigative reporting, as they help to identify less than obvious tendencies and process large amounts of information.

Nadiya Babynska says that one of the main advantages of open data is their machine-readability: they can be processed automatically rather than manually. To do this, they must be in RDF, XML, JSON or CSV format and meet the following criteria:

• Each file (resource) in the set must consist of one table.
• Each row of the table must only have one record.
• Each column must contain values ​​of only one type.
• Usually each cell must have one value.
• The table must not contain any additional elements.

Where to find open data sets:

• on the unified open data portal;
• on the data administrator's website;
• via an official query: say that you want to access certain information in open data form;
• using the application programming interface (API).

Online training class "Open Data in the Work of Media Professionals". Screenshot by Mediabaza Kropyvnytskyi

“Administrators often refuse to release open data sets publicly. There are various excuses, the war being the most popular one, and another one is that the information contains personal data,” explains Nadiya Babynska.

The process of providing and publishing open data sets could be facilitated by adhering to a three-part test. Attorney Oksana Maksymenyuk, senior lawyer at the Institute for Regional Press Development, spoke about how this test is applied when providing public information.

“The Commissioner’s Office is currently working on a three-part test for publishing open data, which should affect the situation and greatly help us obtain data sets,” said Nadiya Babynska.

Maria Turchyna, Mediabaza Khmelnytskyi communications manager