COMPUTER APPLICATION IN

JOURNALISM
LECTURER: MUKHWANA ERICK
(Bsc.Csc(MUK),PGD I.T(MUK)HCIA AI
(Huawei) HCIA Datacom(Huawei))

Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

CONTACT: 0702383384

CONTACT HOURS: Tuesday@5pm Friday@5pm

COURSE UNIT : COMPUTER APPLICATIONS

Lecture 2
DATA AND INFORMATION

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Lecture objectives

Learners should be able to:

Distinguish between data and information

Identify data processing methods

Describe stages of processing information.

Identify qualities of good information.

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 DATA AND INFORMATION

• We live in the information age. In the same way that the development of
industry created the industrial age, the development of information
technology systems, and especially the internet, has created the
information age. It has been a long-held belief by many philosophers that
knowledge is power and that knowledge stems from understanding of
information; information, in turn, is the assigning of meaning to data. To
develop learners' understanding of information technology, we start by
defining these three related concepts. The topics are hierarchical in that:

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• The topics are hierarchical in that:

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 DATA

Definitions of data
1. Data is a collection of text, numbers or symbols in raw or unorganised form.
2. Data refers to raw facts.
The concept of data as it is used in the course unit is commonly referred to
as ‘raw’ data – a collection of text, numbers and symbols with no meaning.
Data therefore has to be processed, or provided with a context, before it can
have meaning.

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 Examples of Data
• 3, 6, 9, 12
• cat, dog, gerbil, rabbit, cockatoo
• 161.2, 175.3, 166.4, 164.7, 169.3

These are meaningless sets of data. They could be the first four answers in
the 3 x table, a list of household pets and the heights of 15-year-old
students but without a context we don’t know.

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 Data processing

• What Is Data Processing?

• Data in its raw form is not useful to any organization. Data processing is the
method of collecting raw data and translating it into usable information. It is
usually performed in a step-by-step process by a team of data scientists and
data engineers in an organization. The raw data is collected, filtered, sorted,
processed, analyzed, stored, and then presented in a readable format.

• Data processing is crucial for organizations to create better business

strategies and increase their competitive edge. By converting the data into a
readable format like graphs, charts, and documents, employees throughout
the organization can understand and use the data.

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 Data Processing Methods
• There are three main data processing methods –
1. Manual
2. Mechanical
3. Electronic. 

1. Manual Data Processing

In this data processing method, data is processed manually. The entire process
of data collection, filtering, sorting, calculation and other logical operations
are all done with human intervention without the use of any other electronic
device or automation software. It is a low-cost method and requires little to
no tools, but produces high errors, high labor costs and lots of time.

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 2. Mechanical Data Processing

• Data is processed mechanically through the use of

devices and machines. These can include simple devices
such as calculators, typewriters, printing press, etc.
Simple data processing operations can be achieved with
this method. It has much lesser errors than manual data
processing, but the increase of data has made this
method more complex and difficult.

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3. Electronic Data Processing

• Data is processed with modern technologies using

data processing software and programs. A set of
instructions is given to the software to process the
data and yield output. This method is the most
expensive but provides the fastest processing
speeds with the highest reliability and accuracy of
output.

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 Information

What is information?
Information refers to Data that has been processed.

• Information is the result of processing data, usually by

computer.
• This results in facts, which enables the processed data to
be used in context and have meaning. Information is data
that has meaning.

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When does data become
information?
• Data on its own has no meaning. It only takes on meaning and becomes
information when it is interpreted. Data consists of raw facts and figures.
When that data is processed into sets according to context, it provides
information.
• Data refers to raw input that when processed or arranged makes
meaningful output. Information is usually the processed outcome of data.
When data is processed into information, it becomes interpretable and
gains significance.

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• In IT, symbols, characters, images, or numbers are data. These are the inputs
an IT system needs to process in order to produce a meaningful
interpretation. In other words, data in a meaningful form becomes
information. Information can be about facts, things, concepts, or anything
relevant to the topic concerned. It may provide answers to questions like
who, which, when, why, what, and how.
• If we put Information into an equation it would look like this:
Data + Meaning = Information

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 Example
Looking at the examples given for data:
• 3, 6, 9, 12
• cat, dog, gerbil, rabbit, cockatoo
• 161.2, 175.3, 166.4, 164.7, 169.3

Only when we assign a context or meaning does the data become

information. It all becomes meaningful when we are told:
• 3, 6, 9 and 12 are the first four answers in the 3 x table
• cat, dog, gerbil, rabbit, cockatoo is a list of household pets
• 161.2, 175.3, 166.4, 164.7, 169.3 are the heights of 15-year-old students.

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How are data, information and
knowledge linked?
If we put Knowledge into an equation it would look
like this:

Information + application or use = Knowledge

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 Types of information

1. Text
2. Pictures
3. Video
4. Audio
All numbers, text, audio, pictures, and video returned as output are
called information.

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 Qualities of Good information
The characteristics of good quality information – it should be:
1. Accurate - Is the information correct in every detail?
2. Up-to-date - How up- to-date is information?
3. Relevant - Do you really need this information?
4. Complete - How comprehensive is the information?
5. On-time - Can it be used for real-time reporting?
6. Appropriately presented – is it communicated through the right channel and to
the right person?
7. Intelligible – can it be understood

8.Reliable - Does the information contradict other trusted resources?

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Stages of information processing
• information processing is the acquisition, recording, organization,
retrieval, display, and dissemination of information.
The stages are:
1. Input
2. Process
3. Storage
4. Output

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1. INPUT

In the input stage, the data is entered into the computer. There are
many ways to do this.
The user inputs the data (for example, by typing on a keyboard or
speaking into a microphone) into the computer. The device takes this
data and converts it into a series of 1’s and 0’s (this is called binary
code).

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 2. PROCESS
The central processing unit (CPU) inside the computer then takes that binary
code and does the calculations needed to get that data to display in a way that
makes sense to the user.
Processing is manipulation of data.
The CPU works with the computer’s memory to get instructions on how to
display the information from the input device and stores it as pixels in the
computer’s memory. This information is sent to the output device to be
translated and displayed in a way that is useful. All of this takes a fraction of a
second to do.

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STORAGE
Storage is where the computer takes the input and stores it in its memory
banks. There are many ways to store the data, but the basic process is as
follows:
1.The CPU writes the data to the computer’s temporary storage, or random access
memory (RAM).
2.The computer then waits for the user’s command to move the data from the RAM to
more permanent storage. If that command is given, the computer writes the data to the
disk drive.
3.Lastly, the computer saves the data in a location on the drive, either the default
storage location or a location set by the user. The user can then recall this stored
information at any time.
You can also store information using external storage devices (for example USB
drives or external hard drives).

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 Knowledge

What is knowledge?
This refers to the acquisition of information by a person such as facts, or the
understanding of information such as how to solve problems .

When someone memorises information this is often referred to as ‘rote-

learning’ or ‘learning by heart’. We can then say that they have acquired
some knowledge. Another form of knowledge is produced as a result of
understanding information that has been given to us, and using that
information to gain knowledge of how to solve problems.

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Example
Looking at the examples given for data:
• 3, 6, 9, 12
• cat, dog, gerbil, rabbit, cockatoo
• 161.2, 175.3, 166.4, 164.7, 169.3

Only when we assign a context or meaning does the data become information. It all
becomes meaningful when we are told:
• 3, 6, 9 and 12 are the first four answers in the 3 x table
• cat, dog, gerbil, rabbit, cockatoo is a list of household pets
• 161.2, 175.3, 166.4, 164.7, 169.3 are the heights of the five tallest 15-year-old students
in a class.

If we now apply this information to gain further knowledge we could say that:
• 4, 8, 12 and 16 are the first four answers in the 4 x table (because the 3 x table starts at
three and goes up in threes the 4 x table must start at four and go up in fours)
• The tallest student is 175.3cm.
• A lion is not a household pet as it is not in the list and it lives in the wild.
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End of topic test:
1. Explain the difference between data and information.
2. Describe how data becomes knowledge.
3. 5, 10, 15, 20 are items of data. Explain how these could become information
and what knowledge could be gained from them.
4. Describe the stages of processing information.
5. Explain the three data processing methods.
6. Mention any 5 qualities of good information.

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…..End…..

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