Page 93 - Convergent Journalism an Introduction Writing and Producing Across Media

Information Graphics History

allowing for a more realistic graphic representation of the information
at hand.
As the communications power of the World Wide Web evolves,
so do the formats we use to convey online news and information.
News Web sites such as MSNBC.com, sun-sentinel.com (South Florida
Sun-Sentinel), and nytimes.com (The New York Times) are using
graphics to present information in a more visual way. Like broad-
cast graphics, online graphics can be animated, increasing the potential
for real-time, realistic visual explanations of an event or topic. How-
ever, unlike both print and broadcast graphics, Web graphics can also
be “nonlinear.” In other words, given the nature of the Web, users
can actually choose the order and pace in which they navigate a Web
graphic, creating a much more immersive experience.
Online graphics are similar to their print and broadcast counterparts
in that they generally come in the form of diagrams, charts, and maps.
Interactive graphics, however, are categorized a bit more specifically.
Four main types exist: narratives, instructives, exploratives, and simu-
latives. In 2003, Maish Nichani and Venkat Rajamanickam provided
a thorough and concise definition for each. They stated that the object 83
of a narrative is “to explain by giving the reader a vicarious experience
of the intent through a story.” In other words, a narrative involves very
little interactivity and is more closely related to a broadcast graphic in
that it provides a relatively passive viewing experience (see Figure 6.1).
Strong narrative graphics are those that combine interesting audio
voiceover with graphic depth and rich animation.
An instructive should “explain by enabling the reader to sequentially
step through the intent.” Instructive graphics are highly immersive in
that they provide the reader with a chance to click through the steps of a
process (see Figure 6.2). Exploratives “give the reader an opportunity to
explore and discover the intent.” Like instructives, exploratives are also
highly interactive, however, the main difference is that exploratives
tend to explain the subject more deeply and may include multiple
graphics, audio and video clips, and photo slide shows in a single graph-
ics package (see Figure 6.3). Exploratives are also highly nonlinear in
nature. These types of interactives often include several topical points
of entry, allowing readers the chance to decide in what order they will
engage with the graphic’s content.
Finally, simulatives “enable the user to experience the intent” and
are usually a representation of some kind of real-word phenomena.
Simulatives are also highly immersive in that they are meant to simulate