Data journalism and audience engagement: Introduction to the special issue.

This article introduces a special issue focused on the relationship between data journalism and audience engagement, addressing a notable gap in scholarship that has predominantly centered on journalistic practices rather than audience experiences. Data journalism, which uses large-scale data to tell news stories often with interactive and transparent elements, is examined here through seven qualitative studies from various countries that explore how audiences perceive, interpret, and engage with data-driven news. The findings reveal that audiences are active participants whose interests, knowledge, and contextual factors shape their reception of data journalism, while newsrooms employ audience engagement strategies motivated by a mix of commercial, professional, and legitimacy concerns. The collection highlights the complexity of audience engagement beyond mere metrics and calls for further research into how audience perceptions of data journalism influence their understanding of reality and the broader societal role of this journalistic form.