Abstract
This study focuses on newspaper maps, which have an important role in conveying spatial information to newspaper readers. Maps and map-like items in the main Turkish newspapers within a certain period were evaluated in regard to the scope of the study. A database was constructed to organize the collected data and conduct the analysis. In addition to cartographic and thematic analyses, the database allows “georeferencing” to be conducted as well. However, the current study focused on the cartographic and thematic properties of these maps. Their deficiencies were identified from a cartographic perspective and with that, the parts of newspapers that maps are mostly included in were investigated, and we aimed to identify the topics and events that increase map usage in newspapers. For this purpose, maps of earthquake-related news were evaluated as a case study to show some spatial and thematic determinations. Thus, the contribution of newspapers to spatial thinking abilities and geographic knowledge of the readers was evaluated by cartographers. The study proves the importance of cartography in spreading knowledge through maps in newspapers. This opens up new possibilities for future studies to develop a different cartographic perspective on map usage and improve the geographic knowledge of newspaper readers.
Highlights
Maps are common spatial tools that do not require people to be professionals to use them in daily life
It can be concluded that most newspaper maps that are basic location maps are generally simple in content and symbolization and have designs that can be understood without specialized training [3]
Newspapers play a fundamental role in continuing adult geographic education [3]
Summary
Maps are common spatial tools that do not require people to be professionals to use them in daily life. In written media, are an important way of spreading geographic and spatial data to society and provide an opportunity to improve people’s spatial thinking. Maps provide the answer to “why” and “how” questions by being an efficient means of showing location and describing geographical relationships [1,2]. Maps play a fundamental role in the societys geographic education [3], because they provide an opportunity to enhance spatial thinking and map reading skills. Cartographic tools can be reached; newspapers provide this through daily news without any extra effort by the reader. Newspaper maps are a unique cartographic genre, because there is no other spatial thinking tool that has such a large audience [3,4]. Newspapers are a cheap, easy, and influential way to convey a spatial tool to people in their everyday lives
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