Mapa do Coronavírus

2021

Country/area: Brazil

Organisation: G1

Organisation size: Big

Publication date: 27 Mar 2020

Credit: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c8GCc09Qo0OkZoMbkOtonw9xAvtAlpDkCKkLDbsGeOQ/

Project description:

It is an exclusive map that gathers data on cases and deaths from Covid-19 in all Brazilian municipalities, numbers and the moving average of cases and deaths in the 27 states of the country and the records in all countries in the world. A journalistic investigation that involves more than 100 reporters and whose update is done almost in real time.

Impact reached:

It is the most complete tool available to the public in Brazil. G1 was able to gather data from all cities in real time and make available the information of the consortium of press vehicles (formed after the federal government threatened to restrict the data), clearly and precisely, giving the dimension of disease in each location. The map became the great source of information in the midst of the pandemic of the new coronavirus, becoming a daily issue in all the press and reference media because of its showing on Jornal Nacional, on TV Globo, daily, and on local news.

With different views, the map manages, in three different tabs, to inform and allows comparisons between cities, states and countries around the world. It innovates by standardizing the concept of moving average and making the population understand the dynamics of the disease in Brazil, with simple and complete graphics.

The work involves the participation of more than 100 journalists from the 27 states of the country, responsible for the daily collection of data from all 5,570 cities by the health departments. An arduous and detailed investigation, which seeks to provide transparency to numbers that are often hidden or not disclosed to the general population.

Techniques/technologies used:

An internal system was created to imput information and allow it to be updated almost in real time. In addition, a way of capturing data from the press media consortium was modeled to maintain the standardization of data for the states (from a Google Spreadsheet). There was also the creation of a system for collecting numbers from Johns Hopkins University with data from all other countries in the world.

What was the hardest part of this project?

An unprecedented effort has been made to obtain this data, in a decentralized manner, in all parts of the country. The collection was made daily and diligently.No other vehicle in the country, the second most affected by Covid-19 in the world, has managed to give the dimension like that map. More than 100 journalists were involved, in a kind of task force that became the G1 brand.

What can others learn from this project?

Besides the importance of teamwork, the project shows that it is possible to pressure the government for more transparency and inform the population even in an adverse condition and at risk of a blackout in the data. The map became a reference for open data and journalistic efforts in the midst of the pandemic.