This article by the Texas Tribune looks at the rate of money spent on prison and jails in Texas compared to schools. The data acquired from the U.S. Department of Education shows the percentage of increased funding over time for jails versus school and puts in perspective the sharp contrast in how the state prioritizes its spending every year. Unfortunately, there are no visualizations in this story which I think would make it more interactive for a reader.
In this case, data was used both as context to show the big picture as well as anecdotal to show particular instances of disparaging spending between both.