Abstract
Infographics, though still in its infancy in the digital world, may offer an opportunity for media companies to enhance their business processes and value creation activities. This paper describes research about the influence of infographics production and dissemination on media companies’ workflow management. Drawing on infographics examples from New York Times print and online version, this contribution empirically explores the evolution from static to interactive multimedia infographics, the possibilities and design challenges of this journalistic emerging field and its impact on media companies’ activities in relation to technology changes and media-use patterns. Findings highlight some explorative ideas about the required workflow and journalism activities for a successful inception of infographics into online news dissemination practices of media companies. Conclusions suggest that delivering infographics represents a yet not fully tapped opportunity for media companies, but its successful inception on news production routines requires skilled professionals in audiovisual journalism and revised business models.
Highlights
Infographics, though still in its infancy in the digital world, may offer an opportunity for media companies to enhance their business processes and value creation activities
From educational standpoint knowledge in graphic design, computer programming, statistics, illustration and traditional journalism skills should all be part of the infographic department employee’s skillset mix. This explorative article has shown that business and US reportages are the New York Times (NYT) most covered infographics categories
The development of interactive infographics requires the creation of a dedicated departmental structure in newspapers which can operate autonomously; hiring journalists able to master data-journalism techniques and online tools; and establish new workflow routines where interactive digital news dissemination becomes an important communication tool
Summary
Infographics, though still in its infancy in the digital world, may offer an opportunity for media companies to enhance their business processes and value creation activities. Findings highlight some explorative ideas about the required workflow and journalism activities for a successful inception of infographics into online news dissemination practices of media companies. Conclusions suggest that delivering infographics represents a yet not fully tapped opportunity for media companies, but its successful inception on news production routines requires skilled professionals in audiovisual journalism and revised business models. During this time of unprecedented change in journalism, media practitioners and scholars find themselves mired in a new debate on the storytelling potential of data visualization narratives. Crafting successful “data stories” requires a diverse set of skills. Gershon and Page (2001) note that effective storytelling “require[s] skills like those familiar to movie directors, beyond a technical expert’s knowledge of computer engineering and science.” Segel (2011) continues ''while techniques from oration, prose, comic books, video games, and film production are applicable to narrative visualization, we should expect this emerging medium to possess unique attributes''
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