Data stories are a narrative format that presents information and data in a way that is easy to understand and engage with. They contain various elements that need to be considered, including the data, the visual form, and the narrative component, to drive behavioral change and lead to a call to action or an adaptation of the mindset. They can promote data literacy and help people understand and make sense of the data that shapes our world at different levels. We propose a pragmatic heuristic that separates the data from possible narratives and adapts it to three audiences of different expertise and age. The method was developed in two projects dedicated to data stories.