This paper discusses the development of data-driven stories and the editorial processes underlying their production. Such ‘data stories’ have proliferated in journalism but are also increasingly developed within academia. Although ‘data stories’ lack a clear definition, there are similarities between the processes that underlie journalistic and academic data stories. However, there are also differences, specifically when it comes to epistemological claims. In this paper data stories as phenomenon and their use in journalism and in the Humanities form the context for the editorial protocol developed for CLARIAH Media Suite Data Stories.