![\"\"](\"http:\/\/histoirevisuelle.fr\/cv\/icones\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Daily.jpg\" "\\"Daily\\"")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Some experts who care about and practice visual news have sharp complaints about the non-factual graphics that were so widespread in the media\u2019s coverage of the death of Osama bin Laden on May 1.<\/p>\n
Journalism is a serious business where credibility is paramount. Editors need, first and foremost, to get the facts right, in graphics as well as text and video.<\/p>\n
What happened last week was that some editors, given a sensational story and little detail, acted as if they were in show business, not the news business. Graphics often were flashy and hyped and very inventive \u2013 good show business \u2013 but if they portrayed what actually happened, it was only by accident.<\/p>\n
In this article, we offer six rules to ensure that editors follow basic, ethical journalism standards in presentation of infographics. It\u2019s a statement in the form of a checklist. Fifty-eight journalists, all of them highly regarded in the field, have endorsed the statement. Their names are listed at the end of the checklist, and we expect that more will sign on in the coming days.<\/p>\n
As we can see here<\/a> (Brazil), here <\/a>(UK), here<\/a> (India), and here<\/a> (U.S.), some publications presented as facts what was just fiction. Sometimes there was no factual support whatsoever. It\u2019s as though William Randolph Hearst was back with us, saying once again, \u00ab\u00a0You furnish the pictures and I’ll furnish the war.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n This kind of thing has happened before, so the misuse of infographics was not totally unexpected. One ostensible excuse was that the Obama White House frequently changed the story of the raid, presenting conflicting pictures day by day.<\/p>\n But a history of incorrect work doesn\u2019t excuse errors these days. And many of the infographics were done so early on that the White House can\u2019t be blamed for what was, after all, an infographics circus.<\/p>\n In this non-stop, 24\/7 news world, editors need to practice restraint and not rush with images when the facts are not there.<\/p>\n So here, with the assistance of some of the most creative, most reliable visual journalists in the world, is our checklist for infographics:<\/p>\n 1.<\/strong> An infographic is, by definition, a visual display of facts and data. Therefore, no infographic can be produced in the absence of reliable information.<\/p>\n 2.<\/strong> No infographic should include elements that are not based on known facts and available evidence.<\/p>\n 3.<\/strong> No infographic should be presented as being factual when it is fictional or based on unverified assumptions.<\/p>\n 4.<\/strong> No infographic should be published without crediting its source(s) of information.<\/p>\n 5.<\/strong> Information graphics professionals should refuse to produce any visual presentation that includes imaginary components designed to make it more \u00ab\u00a0appealing\u00a0\u00bb or \u00ab\u00a0spectacular\u00a0\u00bb. Editors must refrain from asking for graphics that don’t stick to available evidence.<\/p>\n 6.<\/strong> Infographics are neither illustrations nor \u00ab\u00a0art\u00a0\u00bb. Infographics are visual journalism and\u00a0must be governed by the same ethical standards that apply to other areas of the profession.<\/p>\n
![here <\/a>(UK),](\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-NGSip1Gqzv0\/TcBRNWpJ93I\/AAAAAAAAAfk\/0C3zrs1SJz8\/s1600\/Daily.jpg\"){kind=link}
![here<\/a> (India), and](\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-LY42z6dFyJg\/Tb_ThKlaX_I\/AAAAAAAAAFE\/c8BwB4Bg_Hc\/s1600\/18_ind_hindustan_times.jpg\"){kind=link}
![here<\/a> (U.S.), some publications presented as facts what was just fiction. Sometimes there was no factual support whatsoever. It\u2019s as though William Randolph Hearst was back with us, saying once again, \u00ab\u00a0You furnish the pictures and I’ll furnish the war.\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\nThis kind of thing has happened before, so the misuse of infographics was not totally unexpected. One ostensible excuse was that the Obama White House frequently changed the story of the raid, presenting conflicting pictures day by day.<\/p>\nBut a history of incorrect work doesn\u2019t excuse errors these days. And many of the infographics were done so early on that the White House can\u2019t be blamed for what was, after all, an infographics circus.<\/p>\nIn this non-stop, 24\/7 news world, editors need to practice restraint and not rush with images when the facts are not there.<\/p>\nSo here, with the assistance of some of the most creative, most reliable visual journalists in the world, is our checklist for infographics:<\/p>\n1.<\/strong> An infographic is, by definition, a visual display of facts and data. Therefore, no infographic can be produced in the absence of reliable information.<\/p>\n2.<\/strong> No infographic should include elements that are not based on known facts and available evidence.<\/p>\n3.<\/strong> No infographic should be presented as being factual when it is fictional or based on unverified assumptions.<\/p>\n4.<\/strong> No infographic should be published without crediting its source(s) of information.<\/p>\n5.<\/strong> Information graphics professionals should refuse to produce any visual presentation that includes imaginary components designed to make it more \u00ab\u00a0appealing\u00a0\u00bb or \u00ab\u00a0spectacular\u00a0\u00bb. Editors must refrain from asking for graphics that don’t stick to available evidence.<\/p>\n6.<\/strong> Infographics are neither illustrations nor \u00ab\u00a0art\u00a0\u00bb. Infographics are visual journalism and\u00a0must be governed by the same ethical standards that apply to other areas of the profession.<\/p>\nJuan Antonio Giner (UK) is a founder and president of Innovation International Media Consulting Group; Alberto Cairo is the infographic director of Epoca, a weekly news magazine in Brazil. Here are the names of 58 journalists, design experts from 22 countries, who endorse the statement. (We anticipate adding to the list in a few days).<\/em><\/p>\n> Original publication: Nieman Watchdog\n<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nEndorsed by:<\/span><\/p>\nJohn Grimwade (USA), graphics director at Conde Nast Publications.\nMario Tasc\u00f3n (Spain), former El Mundo infographics editor.\nNigel Holmes (USA), former graphics director, Time magazine.\nCarlos Soria (Spain), chairman of Innovation.\nUnar Vegstein (Norway), Afterposten’s head of design.<\/p>\nMark Porter (UK), Principal, Mark Porter Associates.\nJavier Zarracina (USA), Boston Globe’s graphic editor.\nAdrian Norris (Canada), managing editor, design and presentation, Globe and Mail.\nJaime Serra (Spain), La Vanguardia’s infographic and illustration editor.\nCorrie Parsonson (UK), Context Graphics Limited’s managing editor.<\/p>\nCarmen Riera (Venezuela), graphic editor, Cadena Capriles.\nFernando Baptista (USA), senior graphics editor, National Geographic magazine.\nFrancesco Franchi (Italy), IL-Intelligence in lifestyle, Il Sole 24 ORE’s art Director.\nAndrew Jaspan (Australia), former editor, The Age.\nAlvaro Vali\u00f1o (Spain), P\u00fablico’s infographics director.<\/p>\nLinda Eckstein (USA), former Information graphics editor, Fortune.\nAntonio Martin (Spain), senior desisn consultant, Innovation.\nTonia Cowan (Canada), Globe and Mail’s graphics editor.\nCharles Apple (USA), editor, The Visual Side of Journalism’s blog.\nChiqui Esteban (Spain), Lainformacion.com new narratives editor.<\/p>\nJan Schwochow (Germany), In Graphics, graphics executive creative director.\nHenrique Monteiro (Portugal), former editor of Expresso.\nEmilio Deheza (Mexico), formerly Reforma’s graphic director.\nAdonis Durado (Oman), design and graphics director, Al Shabiba.\nJuantxo Cruz (Spain), El Mundo’s infographics editor.<\/p>\nLuis Chumpitaz (UAE), information graphic director, Al Bayan.\nJonas Dagson (Sweden), infographics editor, Swedish Graphics Agency.\nOscar Santiago M\u00e9ndez (Mexico), design director, El Universal.\nMichael Stoll (Germany) professor of information design, Augsburg University.\nPablo Loscri (Argentina), infograhics director, Clarin.<\/p>\nMiguel Angel Gomez (UAE), design director, Gulf News.\nNick Mrozowski (USA), creative director, Adweek magazine.\nPedro Monteiro (Portugal), digital art coordinator, Impresa Publishing.\nDouglas Okasaki (UAE), senior designer Gulf News, and Society for News Design regional director, Middle East and Africa.\nNils Kr. Reppen (Norway), news graphics journalist.<\/p>\nMichael Robinson (UK), head of graphics, The Guardian and The Observer.\nBertrand Pecquerie (France), CEO of the Global Editors Network.\nJeff Goertzen (USA), infographics editor, The Denver Post.\nSven\u00e5ke Bostr\u00f6m (Sweden), former president, Society of News Design.\nAlberto Cuadra (USA), graphics editor, The Washington Post.<\/p>\nGrzegorz Piechota (Poland), special projects editor, Gazeta Wyborcza.\nPablo Ram\u00edrez (Spain), founder of Sinpalabras.\nMiran Pavic (Croatia), editor, Nedjeljni Jutarnji.\nVelislava Popova (Bulgaria) editor-in-chief, Dnevnik.\nRoger Black (USA), founder, Roger Black studio.<\/p>\nFabio Sales (Brazil), art director, O Estado de S. Paulo.\nWalter Bernard (USA), former art director, Time magazine.\nPaul Blickle (Germany), art director, In Graphics.\nSpiros Polikandriotis (Greece), senior design consultant, Innovation.\nRich Beckman (USA),\u00a0Knight chair in visual journalism,\u00a0University of Miami.<\/p>\nMax Gadney (UK), curator, Design of Understanding conference.\nGuillermo Nagore (USA), creative director,\u00a0SYPartners.\nNorvall Skreien (Norway), former president, Society of News Design\/Scandinavia.\nAndr\u00e9 Gunthert (France), director of the Laboratoire d’histoire visuelle contemporaine at the\u00a0Ecole des hautes \u00e9tudes en sciences sociales.\nGert K.Nielsen (Denmark), editor, VisualJournalism blog.<\/p>\nRosental Calmon Alves (US), Knight Chair in Journalism, University of Texas at Austin.\nEduardo Asta (Brazil), Infographics editor at Estado de S. Paulo.\nSimon Ducroquet (Brazil), Infographics editor at Folha de S\u00e3o Paulo.<\/p>\nAdditonal endorsements and comments are of course welcomed<\/a>. Where appropriate, please include your name, country and position.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Some experts who care about and practice visual news have sharp complaints about the non-factual graphics that were so widespread in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[26,28],"tags":[56],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p80eNK-qS","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2356,"url":"http:\/\/histoirevisuelle.fr\/cv\/icones\/2356\/","url_meta":{"origin":1666,"position":0},"title":"Colloque "American Art and the Mass Media", 2-3\/05\/2012","date":"17 avril 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"2-3 May 2012, Institut national d'histoire de l'art (INHA), 2 rue Vivienne, 75002 Paris (open to all, free admission). Organized by Dr Jason E. 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