Information Visualization in Digital News Media

Abstract

The development and global adoption of the internet has impacted every corner of our society. In the case of the news media, this impact is self-evident. In this new scenario, the intensive use of information visualization in journalism has become one of the main new narrative techniques for storytelling. In this chapter, we address this special type of narrative visualization. To do this, we begin by analyzing the added value of information visualization in the media. Next, we address the classic distinction between the concept of infographics and that of data visualization. We show the weaknesses of such a distinction and propose an alternative (faceted) taxonomy that allows a more exhaustive analysis of products of this type. Based on an analysis of a selection of visual contents, the chapter concludes by identifying the main patterns and trends underpinning the current role of information visualization in the newspaper industry.