Artificial Intelligence

Telling Public Stories with Data

Led by: Lee Rainie & John Wihbey

Data visuals are central to how the public understands complex information. This session introduces best practices for designing clear, accurate, and trustworthy data stories in government communication. Participants will examine what works, and what doesn’t, when presenting data to the public, exploring how visuals can clarify or distort meaning depending on design choices and context. 

This session is designed for public professionals who develop, review, or share data-driven communication and want to strengthen their ability to use visuals responsibly to inform and build trust.

 

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Assess the qualities that make data visuals clear, accurate, compelling and trustworthy in public communication.

  • Distinguish between effective and misleading uses of data visualization, recognizing how framing and context shape public understanding.

  • Understand  the risks associated with using – and disclosing the use of – AI-assisted tools in representing data and the value of highlighting sound human judgment in visual storytelling.

This workshop is part of an InnovateUS Series called Amplify
View more workshops from Amplify
Lee Rainie

Director, Elon University's Imagining the Digital Future Center

View bio
John Wihbey

Director of the AI-Media Strategies Lab (AIMES Lab) & Associate Professor, Northeastern University

View bio

Format: online

Date & Time: January 27, 2026, 2:00 PM ET

Duration: 60-minutes

Register for free

Other workshops in the Artificial Intelligence collection

Want to be a part of our community of innovators?

We'd love to keep in touch!

Three icons stacked horizontally, including: Creative Commons logo with the letters 'cc' in a black outlined circle, next to the attribution logo with a person icon in a black outlined circle and the letters BY below, next to the attribution-sharealike icon with a circular arrow in a black outlined circle and the letters SA below.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.