Designing Credible News: Data Story Representation in Short-Form Content

Abstract

The rise of short-form video on social media platforms is one of the most recent disruptions in our information environment, especially as it relates to news media and the role of the infographic (Pew Research Center, 2025; Tomasik and Matsa, 2025). This article examines how the form news takes on these platforms takes after televised news and may contribute to declining trust in media institutions (Vázquez-Herrero, Negreira-Rey and López-García, 2022; Holcomb, 2024; Tran, 2025). Using McLuhan’s theory of media temperature (1964), it contrasts this with the evolution of designed print data journalism and news interactives as a form that builds trust with audiences (Parasie and Dagiral, 2013). Finally, it surveys whether and how 37 Sigma Award-winning articles were represented on the most popular short-form media platforms, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.