![]() ![]() Newspapers and magazines began publishing infographics regularly, realizing they could draw in more readers if they accompanied written articles with a compelling infographic. The true explosion of infographics as a tool of mass communication began at the turn of the 20th century. Du Bois, which plotted how African Americans remained oppressed by institutional racism more than three decades after the end of slavery. “They were very much bound up in an elite discourse-elite people talking to other elite people about elite issues.” There were some exceptions, however, such as the beautiful, intricate infographics made by W.E.B. “The origins of infographics are not as a simple, universal language that could communicate to anyone,” Dick points out. Many of those consuming infographics at the time had academic backgrounds in cartography, meaning they could comprehend highly complex diagrams. When the need for a clear, effective way to convey their findings arose, researchers turned to the new data visualizations that had been dreamed up by Scottish engineer and economist William Playfair, such as bar charts, pie charts and line graphs. During the late Enlightenment period, more and more people were collecting and generating original data to use in textbooks, reference works and other academic publications. Murray Dick, author of The Infographic: A History of Data Graphics in News and Communications. The emergence of the infographic at the end of the 18th century was “almost destined,” says Dr. Though the surge of infographics on social media feels deeply modern, using them as a tool for argument is part of a centuries-old pattern. Scientists quickly pointed out the flaws in its presentation: It ignored the risk of hospitals being overwhelmed, long COVID and the possibility of younger people infecting the elderly, but that didn’t stop it from doing the rounds online. For example, early on in the COVID pandemic, an authoritative “data pack” infographic emphasizing the mildness of most infections was shared by celebrities including Kendall Jenner, who has over 166 million Instagram followers. While some can be useful and educational, these infographics have increasingly been accused of flattening discourse or being laced with obvious bias. In the last year, though, communicating on the most complex issues of world politics and social justice via a handful of pastel-hued slides has come to feel overly simplistic failing to tackle complex issues with the nuance they require. 1 They have been heralded as a creative new form of activism, one that is inherently tied to Instagram’s functionality and its prioritizing of eye-catching visuals. These slideshows, usually shared on the Stories function of Instagram, where images disappear after 24 hours, are now an unavoidable part of the social media user experience. ![]() The good news is you can now find everything you need to know while scrolling Instagram.įew social media trends in the last decade have taken hold quite as quickly as the made-for-Instagram infographic. ![]() Do you know what’s happening in the Middle East? Maybe you want to understand microaggressions, impostor syndrome or the foundations of feminism. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |