Visual journalism is the practice of strategically combining words and images to convey information.

Universal

Visual journalism is premised upon the idea that at a time of accelerating change, often words cannot keep pace with concepts. Visual journalism incorporates ancient

symbol A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different conc ...

s that resonate with humans across cultures and time and conveys meaning instantaneously at a deep level. Visual journalism is an outgrowth of the practice of graphic facilitation and recording that began entering corporate board rooms, conferences, and think tank meetings in the 1970s with the leadership of David Sibbet, founder of The Grove Consultants International. But its roots date back to ancient

cave painting In archaeology, Cave paintings are a type of parietal art (which category also includes petroglyphs, or engravings), found on the wall or ceilings of caves. The term usually implies prehistoric origin, and the oldest known are more than 40,000 ye ...

s and carry forward in the work of designers, architects, and engineers. Only recently has

interactive visualization Visualization or visualisation (see spelling differences) is any technique for creating images, diagrams, or animations to communicate a message. Visualization through visual imagery has been an effective way to communicate both abstract and c ...

of this sort moved out into common use in a variety of group engagements. The scholarly father of this visual form of communication is Robert Horn,

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

, a fellow at

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

and author of the book ''Visual Language''.

Meaning is suggested

Visual journalism is not a series of symbols with precise meanings but rather images that suggest complex meanings and, in the

Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...

tradition of the

cartouche In Egyptian hieroglyphs, a cartouche is an oval with a line at one end tangent to it, indicating that the text enclosed is a royal name. The first examples of the cartouche are associated with pharaohs at the end of the Third Dynasty, but the fea ...

, contain words. The symbols do not simply represent but participate in the meaning and, in combination with evocative phrases, are designed to provoke creative thinking. Visual language is one tool described by author

Daniel Pink Daniel H. Pink (born July 23, 1964) is an American author. He has written seven books; five of them are ''New York Times'' bestsellers. He was a host and a co- executive producer of the 2014 National Geographic Channel social science TV series ...

in his book ''A Whole New Mind'' for the emerging "conceptual age" where people must tolerate ambiguity and communicate quickly, often before concepts are ready to be captured in traditional writing.

Projects

2015,
People's Republic of Bolzano
,

Free University of Bozen-Bolzano The Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italian: ''Libera Università di Bolzano'', German: ''Freie Universität Bozen'', Ladin: ''Università Liedia de Bulsan'') is a university primarily located in Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy. It was founded ...

2016,
Europa Dreaming
,

2021,
Glocal Climate Change

European Data Journalism Network
an
Sheldon.studio

External links

Visual Editors
- A social network of visual journalists *

Society for News Design The Society for News Design (SND), formerly known as the Society of Newspaper Design, is an international organization for professionals working in the news sector of the media industry, specifically those involved with graphic design, illustration ...

- A trade organization for newspaper designers *

National Press Photographers Association The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) is an American professional association made up of still photographers, television videographers, editors, and students in the journalism field. Founded in 1946, the organization is based in at ...

- Industry trade group for photojournalists
Visual Journalism platform
-

Free university of Bozen-Bolzano The Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italian: ''Libera Università di Bolzano'', German: ''Freie Universität Bozen'', Ladin: ''Università Liedia de Bulsan'') is a university primarily located in Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy. It was founded ...

Types of journalism {{Journalism-stub

Universal

Meaning is suggested

Projects

Further reading

See also

External links