A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words

Abstract

In the last issue of Business Communication Quarterly, my editorial was entitled “We All Like to Hear Stories.” For this issue, my theme is “A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words.” Those of us who are in the business of persuading audiences know the value of visuals, and how one picture can effectively capture an entire problem. Photographs, for example, have become iconic representations of major historical events. Who can forget Huỳnh Cong Ut picture of Kim Phuc, taken some 40 years ago, showing a 9-year-old girl crying and running after a napalm attack? This photograph, which won a Pulitzer prize, became an emblem for how civilians, especially children, suffered through the war in Vietnam. The photographer and his subject today have reunited and have told their story all over the world; she started the Kim Foundation International, whose mission is “healing children of war” (http://www.kimfoundation.com/). Given the power of visual representations, it is not surprising that many scholars have recently turned their attention to graphic narratives, which can become remarkable sites of pedagogical inquiry. These forms of writing can help learners and writers become more active participants in their discourse communities. Our first article this issue explores the potential of graphic novels to produce positive learning outcomes. The authors suggest that they are powerful but underutilized tools for teaching business and professional communication. We would like to see more research in this area, especially since the results to date are so promising. Our second article examines students’ reactions to a contemporary simulation infused in the business communication curriculum. I actually experienced the authors’ simulation at a conference in Philadelphia, and I can report that it is an excellent learning experience. The first part of the article presents the design and implementation of a business communication simulation, and the second part describes and analyzes students’ reactions. Continuing a focus on real-world practice, our third article describes a successful simulation project focused on a university crisis. Students were expected to apply communication and linguistic theory to manage communication in a crisis situation; students reported that they learned a great deal and appreciated the opportunity to apply what they were learning in a corporate communication class. Surprisingly, very little is known about how students respond to these kinds of simulations, so these two articles advance knowledge in this area.