Graphics

University of North TexasDepartment of JournalismOnline Journalism 3340

March 4, 2008

What’s Happening Today

Infographics For Thursday:

Read Handout on Blogs Find a blog on a news website.

Compare the content on the blog with a specific news story that the blog may be talking about it. What are the major differences? As a journalist, how do you distinguish the two? As a reader, how do you know the difference?

Guest speaker: Marissa Trevino, publisher, LatinaLista.net

Graphics Transform media

1980s – USA Today For purists, it ‘cheapened’ newspapers

Made it look like cartoons 1990s – Became a standard

Color, graphics – a more reader-friendly publication

2000s – The Web Content/Graphics/Interactivity

Info Graphics – The Basics

Accuracy Just like a newspaper story, you’ve got to report it

Research and verify Avoiding any distortion of key facts

Clarity Information has to make sense to you – the journalist, your editor(s) and the reader

Built around a central idea Precise

What it takes George Rorick, former Knight Ridder graphics expert:

“Plan, Plan, Plan” Brainstorm well in advance (today would be good if you

haven't started already). Be proactive. Ask for what you need. Don't wait for

someone else to tell you what the plan is. If you need a single point-person to copy edit graphics, get one.

Plan how graphics will be updated online. Depending on the size of your staff, decide how many times you will update your online graphics. Be realistic. Ask yourself if you have the resources to update online graphics on the fly, or whether they follow the same deadlines as the newspaper.

Talk to the production department and get them involved early.

What it takes Create shells for charts and maps for local and national

races. Work out any bugs with technology. Find out in what format

election results will be released and how the information will gel with your system.

Get an estimated schedule of when results will be released. Make sure there is a point person who will receive the

results and translate them into the right format if necessary.

Be clear about who is assigned to a specific task and with whom they will be working.

Practice dry runs to ensure the process will work. Be prepared for the unexpected. Think about the "what ifs"

that could occur. For instance, what if there is a serious malfunction at a precinct? What archived graphics should you have on standby?

Types of Graphics Type-based

Lists Refers Web based

Chart-based Graphics

Simplicity Consistency Attribution

Charts Bar Charts Line Pie Charts

Maps Symbols Location Data

Examples CNN.com Alberto Cairo: http://www.ojr

.org/ojr/stories/070523ruel Http://www.steveouting.

com/a-brilliantly-designed-web-infographic.html