The Globe and Mail’s presentation team – an interdisciplinary group of editors, designers, developers and graphic artists – strive to produce work that mixes data, visuals and code in a fun way and ( hopefully) memorable. Here are some highlights of our work in 2017. Meet our team.

A 20-month Globe investigation revealed flaws and inconsistencies in the way sexual assault cases are classified as “unfounded” or unfounded. Below are some highlights from the one-year series.

Nationally, 1 in 5 sexual assault cases are dismissed as unfounded – how police describe what they consider baseless charges – with rates varying widely depending on where you live

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The Globe and Mail collected data from more than 870 police jurisdictions covering 92 percent of the country’s population

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Over 90 percent of sexual assault victims never report to the police. The Globe interviewed 54 people who did. Their stories reveal inconsistent and at times disturbing policing practices across the country

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More from the series:

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Inside Toronto condominium where quick sales earn investors up to $ 2,900 per day

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With the British Columbia Greens reaching a deal with the provincial NDP to form government, the future of the Trans Mountain pipeline is at stake. The expansion project could bring billions of dollars in new revenue, but it would also mean an increase in tanker traffic from coast to coast, and with that, an increased risk of an oil spill. We follow an oil tanker as he threads Burnaby’s needle out to sea

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There is no word for “single mother” in Pashto or Dari, the two main languages ​​spoken throughout Afghanistan, but after four decades of conflict – from the Soviet invasion to the war on terror – million women in Afghanistan are raising children alone.

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In the past 18 months, Canada has resettled more than 40,000 Syrian refugees. Photographer Marcus Oleniuk reached out to newly arrived families and guided them through photo workshops so they could capture their new life in Canada. Here are their favorite photos

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Globe’s Ian Brown and photographer Nam Phi Dang recounted a seven-day trip to eastern Canada, to see what the predominantly Chinese tour group could reveal about the country they were seeing with new eyes

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When Canadian bullfighter Ty Pozzobon committed suicide in January, he shone the spotlight on the world’s most dangerous sport. It became the first confirmed case of CTE in bull riding.

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Kent Monkman is about as famous as a living painter can be in this country. Dakshana Bascaramurty gets a glimpse of the process behind her art

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Despite safety gains in many other industries, the fishery continues to have the highest fatality rate of any employment sector in Canada. Regulators and policymakers are challenged by the grim fatalism that permeates a world in which generations have gone to sea and, too often, do not return home

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Indigenous peoples in Brazil are committing suicide at a rate 22 times that of their fellow citizens – and it is almost all adolescents who commit suicide. As Canada grapples with its own Indigenous suicide crisis, here’s what’s happening to Guarani-Kaiowa youth

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A year-long Globe investigation reveals how regulators allowed dozens of fraudsters to commit securities offenses, earn millions, escape with minimum sentence, then start over.

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A study of millions of data on the income of Canadians reveals a country of opportunity, where most children earn more than their parents, but also a country riddled with mobility traps, where climbing the income ladder is far from be sure

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Ontarians pay higher prices for their electricity than any other province, and a decade of political choices have done so. Here’s how we got there and what the province could do about it

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The next few years will be crucial in determining where quantum technology is going and who will achieve ultimate quantum supremacy. What is quantum computing and why is it important to you?

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New census data provided to the Globe shows that the biggest pay increases have gone to the highest-paid people in the country, along with significant regional and gender differences. See how the data breaks down and see where your own income lies

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On Toronto’s Yonge-University-Spadina line, improvements to a decades-old signaling system could get more trains running in less time by 2019. Oliver Moore explains how it works and looks behind the scenes gigantic renovation

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British Columbia’s New Democrats were sworn in after joining the third-third Green Party to defeat the previous Liberal government. What happens next will be guided by obscure rules of parliamentary procedure and hundreds of years of unwritten conventions, which risk derailing the NDP’s ability to seize power and govern, and could even trigger a snap election.

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Follow the journey of a food item – a hoop of grain – as it crosses the Canada-U.S. Border multiple times duty-free

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New Brunswick has an enviable unemployment rate. But it is also the only province where fewer people are employed today than ten years ago.

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Throughout the year, Statistics Canada released data from the last census. Here’s a look at some of our parts from each version:

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Alia Youssef’s The Sisters project uses photography to challenge one-dimensional image of Muslim women

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Discuss is a new feature where two people – from politicians to journalists, academics to authors – engage in a conversation that stems from a single question. Topic of the day: How to talk to each other in a polarized world

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The Globe and Mail invited a group of writers – from here and elsewhere – to celebrate the country’s history in fiction. We paired the pieces with original works by Canadian illustrators.

A sample of the parts:

• Lisa Moore’s Marconi
• Intermittent warning by Kathleen Winter
• Hazelnut by Seth
• Alice Munro Country by Madeleine Thien
• Young Tomorrow by Sean Michaels

Today marketers have access to more customer data than ever before, from demographic and socio-economic data to information on customer preferences, purchase histories and spending behavior. In fact, many marketers now have access to more than they can comfortably handle.

Plus, the benefits of harnessing all this data keep growing. For example, marketers can leverage vast amounts of data to more effectively target brand campaigns, gain real-time customer insights, and influence behavior at the point of sale.

While there is still room for intuition-driven decision making in an ultra-competitive landscape, it is essential for organizations of all sizes to embrace a data-driven culture. Every corner of today’s marketing world can and should harness the value that data can bring to businesses. Marketers should use it as a tool to inform ideas and make smart decisions. Fortunately, access to and understanding of data is growing with a new generation of easy-to-use software and services. By following three simple steps, organizations can put the power of data directly into the hands of employees and empower them to make informed branding decisions.

Keep it simple

When implementing data analysis software, it is important to keep the data and software accessible to everyone. In this regard, self-service data analytics are fueling a process of democratization. By adopting easy-to-use software, businesses can give marketers at all levels of an organization the ability to quickly explore specific details. Marketers can then make day-to-day decisions based on the information gathered from the analysis, without depending on data scientists within the company or requiring in-depth knowledge of things such as the basics of data, SQL or Hadoop.

Keeping it simple also helps encourage adoption of new tools across the organization. When employees can easily access data to show things like trends, progress, and outliers, they’ll be more likely to embrace them as part of their daily routine and decision-making process.

Harness the power of visualization

With visual analytics, marketers can more easily see and understand their data. Indeed, research shows that people can interpret visual information about 60,000 times faster than text (2012, Billion Dollar Graphics, The Power of Visual Communication). As a result, the ability to visualize data in charts and diagrams instead of having to navigate through multiple rows of numbers not only saves time, but also allows marketers to interact with their data to uncover insights. answers that would otherwise be hidden. They can drag and drop variables that create instant visualizations without a single line of code or a PhD. in statistics. It stimulates thought processes, allowing marketers to ask different questions and find their own answers.

See and forecast trends

A powerful analytics tool paired with the right set of data can help brands see the telltale signs of an emerging trend. With data visuals, marketers can identify new trends, even microtrends, over time. With this information, brands can make better decisions about where they want to go and gain a better understanding of future campaigns, as well as more accurately predict what will happen next.

This also applies in retrospect, as marketing departments can predict trends using analysis software to visualize historical data. Customer purchase history, loyalty surveys, demographic or geographic statistics can be used for this purpose.

For example, retailers can use data analytics to combine information about the weather with data on the buying behavior of customers. Tesco recently did this to prepare customers who buy barbecues on hot weekends. With this information, the retailer ensured that barbecue products and equipment were well stocked in its stores during the summer and hot spring days. A perfect example of capitalizing on data analytics to improve customer loyalty and drive business impact.

Many articles on Consider This are based on surveys, academic studies, and analytical reports. Graphic Producer Sarah Halliday is responsible for ensuring that information is displayed on screen in a compelling and easy-to-understand manner. In this Meet the Staff profile, Halliday explains how she got to work in TV journalism, how she uses her skills and passions to support the media, and how people entering the industry can learn from their more experienced colleagues.

Q. What does a typical working day look like for you?

A. My day usually starts a few hours before I’m at the office, reading the news, seeing if anything really piques my interest. My day really starts after our editorial meeting. Once we’ve decided what we’re going to discuss that evening, I’ll start reading what we’re going to talk about. To do my job well, I need to know as much as possible about the subjects.

Throughout the day, I communicate with the producers, discuss the graphics with them, and really work as a team to create graphics that tell part of the story. I help design and create all of the graphic elements that go into our show.

Before the show starts, I am in the control room to check all the spelling and accuracy. Once we’re on the air, I follow the conversation we’re having and make sure the graphics we’ve created – names, fullscreen graphics, factual information – are playing at the right time.

Q. What makes a good visual element for television?

A. I think there are several ways to make a graphic element successful. Like any part of the show, graphics should be clear, informative, and to the point. But more than that, the graphics should grab the viewer. If there is too much or not enough on the screen, the item will fall flat. It’s a balancing act to make something interesting without overloading the viewer with too much visual information.

I’m a photography lover, and editorial photos are a great way to help provide visual support to the often boring business of numbers. You can telling a story about, say, veterans in the United States without a photo, but with the right photo to back it up, the viewer has a more emotional connection to the data. These numbers have a better chance of sticking with people with that connection than without.

Q. What interested you in journalism and TV production? Did you consider other areas of work?

A. Honestly, I always wanted to be a storyteller. I did a lot of different things with this initial idea, but I always came back to it. In high school, I wrote fictional stories, some from personal stories, others from weird dreams I had. I somehow knew I wasn’t cut out for writing fiction, so late in high school I joined the newspaper and started writing regularly.

I was published in the Long Island Press during my senior year of high school, and for me, that was it. I went to SUNY Purchase for journalism and met my mentor and teacher, Mary Alice Williams, [the former news anchor and vice president of CNN’s New York bureau]. All she had to do was put me in a control room and I was sold. I never thought I would find a job that uses all the things I’m good at: writing, photography, and theater production. And there’s nothing like the adrenaline rush you get in a control room for a live show.

I thought of a lot of areas of work. Theater has been a big part of my life, and I believe it will continue to be a part of my life, no matter where my career takes me. I think when I retire I will put all my money into theater production. At the moment, I am already doing a lot of other things to keep my body and mind active. I am a photographer, I am building my portfolio and I am learning new skills for the future. I also hope to have a hula-hoop dance workshop here in New York next summer.

Q. What jobs had you have worked before and what have you learned from them?

A. I worked at Current TV before that, with Keith Olbermann on Countdown, then with Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer [and then] John Fugelsang. Current TV was my first broadcast job, and it was a crash course in live TV production. What I had learned in college had only scratched the surface.

Before I landed in Current, I had a series of odd jobs while working as a freelance reporter / photographer for Riverdale Press in the Bronx. I worked in the construction of theater sets, data entry and promotions for a bar on Long Island. In all of my jobs before this, I learned the value of teamwork. There is no way to do a job well without the guidance, support and knowledge of your colleagues.

Q. What types of journalism do you like?

A. I like long-term journalism. I read a lot of National Geographic, Rolling Stone Magazine, and The Verge, and watch a lot of documentaries. I like long-form journalism that explores the lives of real people to illustrate a bigger point. I also have to admit that I really like The Onion and The Daily Show. I truly believe that a little laughter can solve most problems, and satirical media like this brings some really disturbing topics to those people who aren’t looking for tough news.

Q. What advice would you give to someone entering journalism?

A. Be persistent and ask questions, whether it’s in a story interview or on your first day on the job. You need persistence to get the job, to understand the story, and to get the questions answered that need to be asked. There is always something to learn about the industry, about an angle, about how to make connections.

In my personal experience, people who have been in this industry for a while want their successors to be good at their jobs. So ask questions, get someone to help you edit a draft of a story. You will always be a better writer, producer, photographer, etc. for that.

Gold mining stocks and GDX posted strong returns in 2020, with gold being one of the strongest and best performing assets in a very volatile year.

But choosing gold stocks is not easy, as every company has a variety of individual projects and risks that are worth evaluating. This is why GDX (VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF) is one of the most popular methods that investors choose to gain exposure to players in the gold mining industry.

While GDX and gold miners can generally offer a leveraged upside against gold during bull markets, in 2020 GDX is back. 23%, a few points from the spot gold 25.1% to recover.

This chart compares the returns of gold, GDX, and the best performing and worst performing gold mining stocks in the index.

Understanding the GDX ETF and its value

GDX is one of several index ETFs created by investment management firm VanEck and provides exposure to 52 of the major gold mining stocks.

It offers a simple way to invest in the biggest names in the gold mining industry, while reducing some of the individual risks many mining companies face. GDX is VanEck’s largest and most popular ETF, averaging around $ 25 million per day, with the largest amount of total net assets at $ 15.3 billion.

When it comes to its holdings, GDX attempts to replicate the performance of the NYSE Arca Gold Miners (GDM) Index, which tracks the overall performance of companies in the gold mining industry.

How the biggest gold miners fared in 2020

As a market capitalization weighted ETF, GDX allocates more assets to components with higher market capitalization, resulting in large gold mining companies making up a larger portion of the index’s holdings.

As a result, the five largest companies in the GDX represent 39.5% of the index’s holdings and the top 10 59.3%.

An equal-weighted index of the five main constituents of GDX returned 27.3% over the year, outperforming gold and the index by a few points. Meanwhile, an equally-weighted index of the top 10 components significantly underperformed, returning only 18.4%.

Newmont was the only company in the top five to outperform gold and the overall index, returning 37.8% for the year. Wheaton Precious Metals (40.3%) and Kinross Gold (54.9%) were the only other top 10 companies to outperform.

Kinross Gold has been the top performer among the major constituents largely due to its strong Q3 results, where the company generated significant free cash flow while quadrupling its reported net income. Along with these positive results, the company also announced its intention to increase gold production by 20% over the next three years.

The best and worst artists in 2020

Among GDX’s best and worst performers, it was the smaller companies in the bottom half of the rankings that significantly outperformed or underperformed.

K92 Mining’s record gold production from its Kainantu gold mine, as well as a significant increase in resources to their nearby high-grade Kora deposit has seen a return of 164.2%, the company switching from TSX-V to TSX at the end of 2020.

Four of the five worst performers for 2020 were from Australian mining companies as the country entered its first recession in 30 years after severe closures and restrictions related to COVID-19. Bushfires earlier this year disrupted shipments from Newcrest’s Cadia mine, and growing tensions with China (Australia’s largest trading partner) also contributed to double-digit withdrawals for some. Australian gold miners.

The lowest performing and last ranked company in the index, Resolute Mining (-36.9%), experienced further disruptions in the second half of 2020 at its Syama gold mine in Mali. The military coup and the resignation of Malian President Ibrahim Keïta in August was followed by threats of a strike from unionized workers in September, slowing operations at the Syama gold mine. Pure and simple strikes finally took place before the end of the year.

How gold mining stocks are chosen for GDX

There are some ground rules which dictate how the index is weighted to ensure that the GDM and GDX correctly reflect the gold mining industry.

In addition to the index weighting rules, there are company-specific requirements for inclusion in the GDM, and therefore the GDX:

• Earn over 50% of revenue from gold mining and related activities
• Market capitalization> $ 750 million
• Average daily volume> 50,000 shares in the last three months
• Average daily value traded> $ 1 million in the last three months

Gold stocks already in the index have some leeway regarding these requirements, and ultimately inclusion or exclusion from the index is up to us as the index administrator.

What 2021 will bring for gold mining stocks

GDX had a mixed start to the year, with an index of -2.3% because it mainly followed the spot price of gold.

Gold and gold mining stocks cooled significantly after their strong rally from Q1 to Q3 2020, as positive developments regarding the COVID-19 vaccine resulted in a stronger-than-expected US dollar and a surge Treasury yields.

That being said, the arrival of new monetary stimulus in the United States could prompt inflation-fearing investors to turn to gold and gold stocks as the year progresses.