Data Journalist

About Playbook Media

Playbook Media is the parent company of two of the UK's most respected specialist media titles:
The Bookseller, the market-leading title for the book trade, and The Stage, the leading publication for the theatre industry. Together, our titles inform, inspire and connect the industries they serve through trusted journalism, events, awards, insight and community. We are an independent, purpose-led business committed to editorial excellence, long-term stewardship and serving the industries we cover.

At Playbook Media, our values don't just describe what we believe, they shape how we work every day. We look for people who are committed to excellence, passionate about the industries we serve, act with integrity and independence, and think about the long-term success of our brands, customers and colleagues.

Data is already central to some of the most important journalism produced by The Bookseller and The Stage. We want to build on that foundation.

We are looking for an ambitious Data Journalist to work across both titles, using data to uncover, analyse and tell stories that matter to our professional audiences.

Working directly with the Deputy Editor of The Bookseller and the Editor of The Stage, the Data Journalist will take responsibility for established data projects while helping us expand the use of data across both brands.

At the heart of the role is the ability to source, interrogate and interpret data and turn it into clear, compelling journalism. We are looking for someone who is curious about what lies beneath the numbers: spotting trends, asking the right questions and identifying stories that others might miss.

This is a role for an ambitious self-starter who combines technical confidence and attention to detail with strong journalistic instincts and a genuine appetite for finding new ways to tell stories through data.

• Compile The Bookseller's market-leading weekly book sales charts from raw NielsenIQ Book Scan data and other data sources.

• Produce accurate, time-critical online analysis of the weekly charts each Tuesday, followed by more detailed analysis for the print magazine.

• Take responsibility for the quality and accuracy of The Bookseller's online and print charts coverage.

• Work with the Deputy Editor to develop and expand The Bookseller's data and insight journalism.

• Work with publishers, online retailers and other partners to compile The Bookseller's e-book and audiobook charts.

• Carry out in-depth analysis of book-market sectors and trends for supplements, news stories and special reports.

• Produce and analyse sales data to support reporting, profiles and features across the editorial team.

• Proactively identify and develop original data-led news and feature ideas.

• Explore new datasets and sources that could deepen The Bookseller's understanding of the publishing industry and generate valuable new journalism.

• Play a leading role in the annual West End ticketing survey, analysing the data and helping identify the most significant trends and stories.

• Lead the data and survey elements of How to Choose Your Drama School, from data collection through to analysis and presentation of the findings.

• Work with the editorial team to identify and develop new data-driven projects.

• Use existing and new datasets to generate original stories about the theatre and performing arts industries.

Essential

• Previous experience working with data as part of journalism, research or editorial work.

• Strong journalistic judgement and storytelling ability, with an instinct for what makes an interesting and compelling story.

• Curiosity and an investigative mindset: someone who asks good questions, looks beyond the obvious and is interested in discovering what the numbers really mean.

• Confidence working with numerical information and large datasets

• Strong Microsoft Excel skills and a willingness and aptitude to develop more advanced data-analysis techniques.

• Experience sourcing, cleaning or combining data from multiple sources.

• Rigorous attention to detail and a strong approach to accuracy and fact-checking.

• An understanding of journalistic ethics and the importance of editorial independence.

• The ability to work accurately under pressure, organise competing priorities and meet fixed deadlines.

• The ability to work independently and take ownership of projects while collaborating effectively with…