Conference Report November 18-19, 2013

Northwestern University in Qatar Symposium BIGD8TA

Big Data, Smart Media?

Connecting Content, Audience and Information

01 Big Data Conference Report

02 Big Data Statistics 03 Program 04 Introduction 06 Keynote Speaker: Kenneth Cukier 07 Keynote Speaker: Khalifa Al Haroon 08 Storytelling 2.0 12 The Whole World is Watching 16 #BigD8ta Tweets 17 NU-Q at a Glance

Contents 02 Big Data Conference Report Big Data: What is it, what kind of data and how much?

VIDEO SOCIAL MEDIA OTHER DIGITAL PLATFORMS

ƒƒStreaming video takes up ƒƒMore than 1.4 billion ƒƒ1.3 exabytes of data are sent more than 1/3 of the Internet online consumers spend and received by mobile traffic during normal 22 percent of their time on Internet users each month television watching hours social platforms ƒƒThe average teenager ƒƒ72 hours of video are added ƒƒ172 million individuals visit sends 4,762 text messages to YouTube every minute Facebook each day per month ƒƒ864,000 hours of YouTube ƒƒThey spend 4.7 billion ƒƒMore iPhones are sold than video are uploaded each day minutes on Facebook babies born each day each day and update their ƒƒ22 million hours of TV and ƒƒ294 billion emails are sent movies are watched on statuses 532 million times each day Netflix each day daily ƒƒ72.9 products are ordered ƒ are ƒƒZynga processes 1 petabyte ƒ250 million photos per second on Amazon —1,000 terabytes—of video uploaded to Facebook each day ƒƒ18.7 million hours of music is game content per day streamed on Pandora each ƒ ƒ30+ billion pieces of data day are added to Facebook each month ƒƒ1,288 new apps are available to download each day ƒƒ40 million individual users log on to Twitter each day ƒƒMore than 35 million apps are downloaded each day ƒƒThey generate 50 million tweets per day ƒƒ32 billion searches are performed on Twitter per month ƒƒ22 million individuals use LinkedIn each day

By 2018, there will be a demand for about 450,000 data scientists in the US, leaving a shortage of more than 150,000 positions 03 Big Data Conference Report

Program

NOVEMBER 18, NOVEMBER 19, 2013 2013

LOCATION: LOCATION: Mohammed Haddad, “Surveillance W Hotel, West Bay 3069 CMU Building, Al Jazeera Media and Big Data” What Education City Networks big data means 6:30pm “The Translation for citizens’ digital Reception 9-9:30am of Data Into Visual communications Registration Presentations” How Al and online behaviors 8:00pm Jazeera makes sure it in the advent of a Keynote Speakers and 9:30-10:00am uses the right data to surveillance society Welcome Dinner Welcome & tell the right story Introduction Greg Bergida, NU-Q Kenneth Neil Cukier, Everette E. Dennis, Kathy McKeown, “Web Analytics and Data Editor, The Dean and CEO, NU-Q Columbia University Predictive Power” Economist “Social Media and Big How social media “Big Data: A Defining Big Data Data Analytics: Why can help develop Revolution in How We John Pavlik, You Should Care” predictions about Live, Work and Play” Associate Dean for Research on the new media consumer Research, NU-Q media implications of behavior Khalifa Al big data Haroon, Founder, 10:00-11:30am Darnel Moore, ILoveQatar.net Panel: Driving Media 11:30am to 12:00pm PerceptiAn Consulting “Social Media Metrics Innovation With Big Luncheon LLC “Media, Sports and Building Online Data and Big Data” Using Audience and Moderator: Justin 12:00pm-1:30pm data to do “customer Revenue” Martin, NU-Q Panel: Tracking People journey mapping,” Through Big Data particularly in the Larry Birnbaum, Moderator: Starling context of sports and Northwestern Hunter, Visiting the media University Associate Teaching “Telling Stories Professor, Carnegie 1:30-1:45pm at Internet Scale” Mellon University Concluding Remarks Birnbaum’s pioneering Qatar research developing 1:45pm data-driven Martha Stone, Adjournment storytelling using University of Oxford computer algorithms Reuters Institute 04 Big Data Conference Report

Introduction

The waves of data produced in just one day by myriad sources affect every area of life.

The new tools of the At no time in history has so much information been digital age not only so readily available. As with any shift so monumental, capture, curate and store, but also search, this phenomenon presents both opportunities and transfer, visualize and challenges. Northwestern University in Qatar’s big analyze. That’s why we data symposium on November 18-19, 2013, brought are here: to gain an understanding of big together experts in statistics, journalism, marketing and data, why it matters computer science to discuss the impact of this new and what we ought to do about it. paradigm on the media and communications worlds. — Everette Dennis “Big ideas and complex ideas often acquire monikers that are simple and straightforward, if not fully satisfying,” NU-Q Dean and CEO Everette E. Dennis said in his introductory remarks. “That, of course, is the case with big data, which is a marker for meaning to explain the interface between a torrent of information and our capacity to manage it. People are always looking for the next big thing, and many commentators and experts believe that [big data] is that and that it’s already arrived on the scene.”

Dennis noted the rapid but under-the-radar nature of the big data revolution: Its explosive overnight growth Everette E. Dennis, happened without much notice from beyond the tech world. Dean and CEO, NU-Q Only recently, when new media tools, digital devices and social media sites became ubiquitous, did that paradigm shift become mainstream. This symposium represents a step toward understanding the new implications this change brings for media, communication and journalism. 05 Big Data Conference Report

“The new tools of the digital age can not only capture, curate and store, but also search, transfer, visualize and analyze,” he said. “That’s why we are here: to gain an understanding of big data, why it matters and what we ought to do about it.”

As far back as 1968, journalists were figuring out the power of data analytics, explained NU-Q Associate Dean for Research John Pavlik. That year, Detroit Free Press reporter Philip Meyer won a Pulitzer Prize for his work on the city’s race riots—work that centered on data analysis. John Pavlik, Associate Dean for Research, NU-Q Tools for accessing and analyzing big data are quickly becoming essential to doing quality investigative reporting, Pavlik said. “Job opportunities in journalism and media increasingly require skills in data-driven reporting and “Job opportunities in storytelling.” journalism and media increasingly require skills The symposium also acknowledged the limits and potential in data-driven reporting and storytelling.” pitfalls of big data from conclusions drawn from bad data to growing concerns over surveillance. “We are not only here — John Pavlik as cheerleaders of big data,” Dennis said, reiterating big data’s formidable and growing influence on all areas of life.

“It is becoming crucial to understand and know how to work with big data if one is to succeed in communication and journalism,” he concluded. “Big data can paralyze us or liberate us, and the choice is ours.”

The Big Data Symposium presentations touched on how massive amounts of data are changing daily life, marketing trends and, of particular interest to the university, the field of journalism. The following coverage highlights relevant and pivotal notions raised by panelists and audience members. 06 Big Data Conference Report

Keynote Speaker: “For example, we are all sitting down right now,” he said. “If I were able to put a Kenneth Cukier sensor under your chair, I could create an index that’s very unique that describes how Kenneth Cukier, data editor of The Economist you sit and the way you sit and your posture. and co-author of Big Data: A Revolution It would be something like a fingerprint that That Will Transform How We Live, Work would identify it to be you.” and Think, started off the symposium with Such a “fingerprint” could be used in a discussion of big data as an amorphous automobile technology to identify the driver concept that defies its simple name. and prevent theft in case someone else sits in The core analytical techniques required the driver’s seat, for example. to make sense of big data have been around For journalists and media professionals, since before computers, he explained. But the increase in readily available data the breakout moment of multimedia and brings the need to learn new technologies widespread data creation has driven the and methods. “If you do want to go into evolution of these methods, with massive journalism, marketing or communications, computers crunching incomprehensible you do have to understand data,” Cukier amounts of data in shorter periods of time. said. “What that means is you are going Cukier explained that while to have to learn the hard stuff that you infrastructure is at the core of understanding otherwise might have tried to avoid 20 how data came to be formidable across years ago—like stats, mathematics and industries, the character of the digital world computer programming.” changed as it broke the barriers of military But even as developers and companies and governmental uses into mainstream celebrate advances in the use of data in new multimedia content. and imaginative ways, Cukier noted that the About a decade ago, scientists at risks and challenges are showing up in the universities and throughout Silicone Valley realms of privacy and ownership. Privacy noted that data sets were so large that they regulations around data are constantly were outstripping technology. Thus began changing due to the rapid advances in the the competitive evolution of analytical ways data can be mined and analyzed by methods versus data generation across all both private and government entities. sectors—inaugurating the era of big data. Cukier warned attendees about the Cukier cautioned, however, that the “deification of data,” i.e., when data are origin of big data can no longer be the only given more meaning than they deserve way to frame it: “The term has been diluted, despite their inherent imperfections. “It’s and the dilution is to say that big data now only a simulacrum of reality, in the same way refers to using statistics to apply data to areas that a map is not a real territory,” Cukier that we have never applied it to before.” said. “We have to remember that while we Improvements in the analysis of data embrace the idea of big data, we also hold on have driven the other side of the evolutionary to our common sense and our humanity and competition—now that it’s easier to make our humility. This is about real people and sense of huge data sets, people are coming up real information, not just bits and bytes and with more and more sources of data. spreadsheets.” 07 Big Data Conference Report

Keynote Speaker: Khalifa Al Haroon

Big data’s impact has been a major Science competition winner was a man who boon to marketing and communication developed a shoe for camels that analyzes professionals and organizations. Keynote their walking patterns and identifies illnesses speaker Khalifa Al Haroon, founder and and injuries. CEO of the website iloveQatar.net and He also said that 42 percent of Haroon United Group, gave insights into markets surveyed in early 2013 invested the ways big data is helping him track in big data technology in the hopes of the growth of his media channel. His talk benefiting from the seemingly endless helped provide context for big data’s effect possibilities for monitoring, tracking and on Qatar and the nation’s current ability to measuring consumer data. These efforts tap into the information flow. can be used to better target customers, “In Qatar we don’t have a lot of but inevitably come with concerns about information that’s shareable, because, privacy and security. regardless of the fact that some say “Let me tell you what I know about we don’t have big data in Qatar, that’s my users: I know where you are from, rubbish,” Al Haroon said. “We have data all what you like, how likely you are to click around us, everywhere, and what we need on a link, how you move your mouse is someone to help us get that information across my browser and, using eye tracking, and share it with everyone else.” if you give permission, I can see how your He placed special emphasis on eyes move on my site,” he said. the market for Arabic content, which he argues is relatively underserved. “Eighty percent of YouTube creators who create in Arabic have gone on to be millionaires—.01 percent of all content on YouTube today is in Arabic,” he said. Scientists in Qatar are coming up with innovative ways to harness the country’s disparate sources of data. For example, Al Haroon pointed out that Qatar’s Stars of

“We have data all around us, everywhere, and what we need is someone to help us get that information and share it with everyone else.” Panel 1 STORYTELLINGSTORYTELLING 2.02.0 09 Big Data Conference Report

Panel 1

Few, if any, industries haven’t been transformed by the rise of big data. Journalism is currently undergoing a massive— albeit incremental—shift in the way stories are reported and told. Through the use of artificial intelligence, specifically natural language processing, huge amounts of information are being mined at rapid-fire pace for highly customizable bits of information that are then automatically woven into story form.

Larry Birnbaum, professor of electrical engineering and computer science and journalism at Northwestern University, and co-founder and chief scientific advisor at Narrative Science, elaborated on automated storytelling in the opening panel. Birnbaum said effective data analysis boils down to training systems to detect and arrange themes and patterns from information sets. The amount of data in many fields precludes usage unless machines are tasked with generating stories. “What is interesting is that you can look at data, and you can see these patterns, and you can see that they are actual patterns,” he said. “They give you advice. [The resulting] stories highlight and summarize the critical aspects of a situation. They convey trends and causes and, in some cases, make recommendations.” The computer-generated stories produced by companies such as Narrative Science are both consumer-facing and used internally by companies in a range of fields, including sports, business and medicine. The data in these fields is massive, and the meaning would be buried if it were not selected and ordered. “We don’t consider ourselves Birnbaum asserted that stories, rather than raw data and graphs, are the best way to get points across. [replacing journalists] at all. “Stories can pull out and make explicit really critical These are stories that could elements in thinking about a data set—what matters to the never have otherwise been reader, what they need to be paying attention to and why they written … most of these stories need to be paying attention to it,” he said. “This is what a good writer does. The machine is a good writer and does a reasonable are going to be aimed at you job of pulling stuff out.” and to you, and this is about Further exploring the concept of automated storytelling, giving you stories that are Kathleen McKeown, professor of computer science at Columbia relevant to you right now.” University and director of the school’s Institute for Data Sciences and Engineering, discussed how useful stories can be constructed — Larry Birnbaum from informal text. 10 Big Data Conference Report

Panel 1

“There’s a lot of information out there in social media every day,” she explained, “and so what we are interested in is creating systems that can make sense of that data for people. At the same time, we’re My own work is on detection of sentiment, and much of also looking at how what you see out in the real world works on the basis of we can exploit that words looking for context—positive sentiment within a data as we build negative context. systems.” McKeown — Kathleen McKeown described a system developed through Columbia called common in social media. Another challenge Newsblaster that has been sifting through comes in training the system how to know news data since 2001 to identify discrete what to look for. events and generate reports and summaries. “The question never appears in the She and her colleagues are using data answer,” McKeown said. “You can Google from social media to generate summaries or Bing keywords and retrieve matching and answer questions. “The first question items, but we have to find relevant that we ask is, ‘How does online discussion sentences and we don’t always get these differ from online news?’” she said. [from a straightforward query].” “Online discussion provides unedited Nevertheless, mining social-media data perspectives from the point of view of the for stories can provide more illustrative everyday perspective. While news is an first-person perspectives. For example, article, a monologue, online social media McKeown’s group used on-the-ground is often in the form of dialogue, so as we data from police, restaurants, traffic, stores build systems that’s something we have and recharging stations in its coverage of to take into account. It presents opinions, Hurricane Sandy. viewpoints and quite a bit of emotion on In the end, she envisions the next the part of the everyday person.” generation of storytelling moving along One challenge lies in determining a continuum of both time and narrative, the actual meanings of the informal and incorporating local and big-picture idiomatic word combinations particularly perspectives and opinions gathered from 11 Big Data Conference Report

Panel 1

those experiencing events firsthand. To round out the discussion on journalistic applications of big data, Mohammed Haddad, interactive journalist at Al Jazeera English, explored the translation of data into visual presentations. He addressed students in particular, sharing key lessons he has learned at Al Jazeera. His first lesson was to humanize data. This means looking at the people behind the data—in other words, how raw numbers actually reflect the real world. For example, one Al Jazeera English project tried to map the hundreds of rebel groups in Syria, including their size, location and composition. “When you are taking data and trying to abstract it, eventually you are going to see it as a visualization,” Haddad said. “There are real people behind data. Data does not just exist in isolation.” He stressed that media professionals must take time to probe data deeper and “There is a fine line between wider for more context. “Oftentimes we forming data and narrative and think that because data is sometimes easily then letting the data speak for available that it’s the best data and we itself. As a storyteller, you want should use it,” he said. “In fact, in cases like to surface what you believe is the the Syria project, you have to go out and find the data that is actually adding value most important part of the story.” to the whole process of journalism.” — Mohammed Haddad Haddad’s second lesson was that data does not automatically equal truth. He emphasized the importance of analyzing certain data points [in the older set], then the quality of datasets in terms of who put we may be misleading our readers,” he said. them together and when. For example, his “The convenience of the data should not team had to take into account out-of-date make the decision for us that this is the data sets when covering the United Nations best data set out there. We need to do our conference on climate change in Doha. due diligence in interrogating the data in “If we draw conclusions based on looking at its full effect.” 12 Big Data Conference Report

Panel 2 The Whole World is Watching The conference’s second panel explored the variety of ways in which big data is used in the public and market spheres, from the innocuous— movie recommendations, for example—to the controversial, such as government surveillance.

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Panel 2 Big Data and Surveillance

artha Stone, The extent of the CEO of research domestic surveillance revealed firm World caused even those who Newsmedia favored such measures in the MNetwork, past to balk, Stone explained. explored how big data “The bottom line in all of is increasingly subject to this is that we must balance surveillance, corruption the need for security with the and leaks, and the effect of right to privacy,” she said. those vulnerabilities on both Although tech companies in to have a “cup of tea” journalists and everyday denied that they supply with government officials citizens. their information to PRISM, to discuss his latest critical She began with the case Stone presented budgetary statements. of Edward Snowden, who allowances that argue “China is blanketed leaked US National Security otherwise—US$20 million of with surveillance cameras Agency (NSA) documents the NSA’s budget is allocated installed on most streets, about its surveillance of to compliance costs incurred in supermarkets and in phone and online activity by tech companies. classrooms,” she said. of millions of Americans. Stone touched on “The main purpose of the That lead to The Guardian’s the power of some of the surveillance of course is exposure of PRISM, a information gathered control and intimidation surveillance program that through PRISM to give in order to maintain the collects data from phone security officials advance Communist Party’s hold on companies and major tech warning of potential crimes; power.” companies such as Google, in some cases, however, this Finally, Stone talked Yahoo, Facebook, YouTube, information is not applied, as about the current and future Skype, Apple and more. was the case in the Mumbai impact of government While the US government terrorist attacks of 2008. data-mining on the field of sought to quell the resulting Highlighting the case journalism, saying that the criticism—citing national of Hao Jian, a Chinese practice is already making security—even more government critic, Stone potential sources less willing outrage emerged after it asked the audience about to talk when they know they was revealed that NSA was the possible implications could be recorded without also running surveillance of a system like PRISM. their knowledge. on many foreign leaders. Hao is periodically called 15 Big Data Conference Report

Panel 2 Big Data and the Custom Fit

ot all data and Worldwide Motion collection is done Picture Group, use data for such morally analysis to create products (and legally) that are more likely to Nambiguous sell. Netflix, for example, purposes, of course. Many greenlighted an entire season companies use big data to help of House of Cards based their customers—and give on data analysis that told themselves a competitive edge. the company that the show Greg Bergida, NU-Q’s would be successful. director of student affairs and In that same vein, former business consultant, Darnel Moore, managing presented the topic of partner at PerceptiAn predictive analytics, a variety Consulting LLC, stressed of statistical and analytical the importance of putting techniques used to develop the individual at the center models for predicting future of any marketing strategy. events or behaviors. He urged organizations to Distinguishing between create an empathic customer data and information is experience, noting that critical, he argued. Data are “empathy creates dialogue, Top: Greg Bergida raw, quantitative values, messages and themes that Bottom: Darnel Moore whereas information is energize and trigger ‘moments contextualized to add of truth’ with fans.” insightful detail. Big data comes into play fans in order to predict and With specific analytical because it allows companies accommodate their behavior. tools, data can be mined and to monitor consumer Research into this area, transformed into information activity at every stage of the Moore explained, will help so that consumer trends purchasing and usage process offer a personalized experience and preferences, as well through “consumer journey to sports fans into the future, as popular ideas, can be mapping.” including personalized targeted and used to provide Moore explored how merchandise offers, trivia market insights. this has already proven games, mobile snack orders, Several media valuable to sports teams mobile check-ins to games and companies, including Netflix as they try to tightly define many more services. 16 Big Data Conference Report

#BIGD8TA TWEETS NU-Q at a Glance

Northwestern University in Qatar Quick Facts Northwestern University brings to Qatar everything one expects from a top-ranked university—a distinguished history, famous • Northwestern’s 12th programs and a world-class faculty. NU-Q provides a framework school and only overseas through which students explore the world and, ultimately, shape campus its future. NU-Q recruits students of demonstrated academic • Classes began in 2008 achievement from diverse social backgrounds. • 2,500-acre Education City campus • Four video production Faculty studios* NU-Q’s faculty upholds the commitment to excellence that has • Two 150-person lecture won the university international recognition for over 150 years. halls* In addition to challenging students in the classroom, they lead in • One black box theater* their fields through research and innovation. • Multimedia newsroom* • Diverse student activities *In progress Students NU-Q’s Wildcats are a living and diverse group of students Current Numbers who enjoy not only a quality education, but also fun and social learning activities, clubs and organizations, supportive career guidance, and international travel. The diversity of the 188-member student body allows each student to learn about other cultures, traditions and countries.

157 Student Nationalities Students enrolled Australia Bahrain Bangladesh Bulgaria Canada China Egypt France India Indonesia Iran Iraq Jordan Korea Kuwait Lebanon Morocco New Zealand Oman Pakistan Palestinian Territory Philippines Qatar Saudi Arabia Spain Sudan Syria Tunisia United Kingdom United States 28 Nationalities

30 Full-time faculty Northwestern University in Qatar P.O. Box 34102 Education City Doha, Qatar www.qatar.northwestern.edu