Page 92 - Convergent Journalism an Introduction Writing and Producing Across Media

CONVERGED GRAPHICS ACROSS ALL MEDIA

Thus, when referring to the relationship between graphics and conver-
gence, we often talk about “multimedia” graphics. Most news-oriented
information graphics are developed for print, broadcast, and the Web.
However, before we address how information graphics fit into the
notion of media convergence, it is important to first take a look at
the history of information graphics reporting and to discuss the role of
the graphics reporter in a news environment.

Information Graphics History

Considered by many to be the catalyst for the information graph-
ics explosion that began to take place in the 1980s, USA Today was
founded in September 1982. Its editorial mission was simple: Cater to
the time-starved reader with tightly edited story packages in an enter-
taining and easy-to-read format. This meant shorter stories, innovative
use of color, and a multitude of maps, charts, polls, and other color
graphics in place of the more traditional long-form, text-driven stories
82 common in most newspapers. At USA Today, editors viewed informa-
tion graphics as being just as effective as word-driven story structures
in conveying news. As Lori Demo, a former USA Today editor puts it,
“If the story starts to get too bogged down by explanation, it’s time for
a graphic.” This philosophy has continued to evolve at USA Today for
more than 20 years.
Today, most newspapers employ a number of graphics reporters
who develop information graphics to enhance storytelling potential
and appeal to readers in a more visual way. Print graphics come in a
variety of forms, including pie, fever, and bar charts to convey statistical
information, explanatory diagrams, and maps.
Information graphics also have been a common form of visual sto-
rytelling in news broadcasts for many years. Numerical displays or
explanatory illustrations are often used to enhance a news broadcast
by taking the viewer where video cameras cannot. In particular, maps
have served an important function in broadcast news reporting for sto-
ries related to weather, politics, and war. The integration of maps
into the presentation of broadcast news often enhances a viewer’s abil-
ity to conceptualize and understand the importance and impact of a
story. Broadcast graphics are often developed as a portion of a news
story that works to complement the video and audio. The leap to these
types of graphics has allowed graphics reporters to integrate animation,