Testing data literacy: Numeracy, statistical literacy, and sociological knowledge among journalists in Estonia and Turkey
Ragne Kõuts-Klemm 1 * ,
Ayşen Yalman 2,
Mehmet Arif Arık 2,
Liis Auväärt 1 More Detail
1 Institute of Social Studies, University of Tartu, Tartu, ESTONIA
2 Department of Journalism, Akdeniz University, Antalya, TURKEY
* Corresponding Author
Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, Volume 16, Issue 2, Article No: e202631.
https://doi.org/10.30935/ojcmt/18574
OPEN ACCESS 76 Views 26 Downloads Published online: 20 May 2026
ABSTRACT
International comparative studies show that adults’ data literacy is considerably lower than that of younger generations. Many older adults do not engage in continuing education and instead depend on journalists, functioning as knowledge brokers, to interpret and contextualize data. The news media have traditionally carried both an informative and educational function for their audiences. This article examines journalists’ own data literacy, given their potential to shape the public’s capacity to navigate data-rich environments. The study innovates by distinguishing data literacy as comprising numeracy, statistical literacy, and sociological data knowledge, and tests data literacy across various journalistic contexts. Drawing on a data literacy test conducted among journalists in Estonia and Turkey (respectively 10 and 20 interviews), the study identifies notable gaps in these three data literacy components. Whereas general math skills of journalists align with the numeracy level of the general population, knowledge of statistics and sociological data depends more on the particular educational contexts. The study reveals the necessity of additional data training for journalists to respond to the challenges facing in datafying societies. The study argues for targeted educational initiatives to strengthen data literacy among journalists and the wider population.
CITATION
Kõuts-Klemm, R., Yalman, A., Arif Arık, M., & Auväärt, L. (2026). Testing data literacy: Numeracy, statistical literacy, and sociological knowledge among journalists in Estonia and Turkey.
Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 16(2), e202631.
https://doi.org/10.30935/ojcmt/18574
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