Laura Grant
Laura Grant is a data journalist with 20 years of experience in the South African media as a journalist, copy editor and designer. She likes to collect and play with data sets to tease out the stories hidden in them. She combines infographics, interactive maps and a variety of other visual elements with journalistic storytelling to make data accessible and interesting. Before joining the Media Hack Collective, Laura was associate editor: digital and data projects at the Mail & Guardian. She wrote data-driven stories and produced interactive graphics and maps for both the print and online platforms. She conceptualised, designed and managed the production of the M&G’s iPad edition. She also experimented with and introduced innovative digital storytelling techniques, such as immersive long-form features, to the newsroom. Before that she was the chief sub-editor of the M&G’s print edition. Laura has a BA in journalism and media studies, a BA Hons in psychology and a postgraduate diploma in environmental management and tourism development.
laura@theoutlier.co.za
@LauraJGrant
Alastair Otter
Alastair Otter has more than 20 years of journalism experience spanning both print and digital publications, and has more than 10 years of experience as a developer focused on producing media-related online products. Alastair started his career in print media working for a number of titles, including The Star and Business Report, before moving into digital media. In the early 2000s he launched his own online specialist publication, Tectonic, which covered the emerging world of open source software, and wrote for online technology publications such as ITWeb and MyBroadband. Prior to joining the Media Hack Collective, Alastair was the editor and later head of editorial innovation at Independent Online, one of Africa’s largest online news sites. At Media Hack, Alastair’s specialities are data visualisation and the development of online media products.
alastair@theoutlier.co.za
@alastairotter
Gemma Ritchie
Gemma Ritchie is a journalist who became interested in data journalism during her fellowship with the Open Society Foundation in 2019. Before joining the Media Hack Collective in 2021, she spent a year at amaBhungane, the centre for investigative journalism, where she investigated the mining industry, government employment programmes and the passenger rail industry among others. She previously worked as an online journalist at the Mail & Guardian as well as spending several months at Grocott’s Mail in Makhanda.