  Ten Tips for Visual Thinking for Writers and Editors HOW TO MAKE YOUR NEWSPAPER MORE VISUALLY INVITING - AND MORE COMPREHENSIVE FOR THE READER | |||
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This is part of a series of original essays relating to newspaper design, training and management, based on e-mail questions sent in by inquisitive visitors to my web sites. It is partly based on two workshops conducted in Orange County, Calif., for the National Writers Workshops and for the Society of Business Editors and Writers. If you have a question or comment on these topics, send it to me here at any time. I'll respond as soon as possible, and consider using your question in a future web posting. Home page: www.ronreason.com (more tips on newspaper design, graphics and editing). In my experience, writers who invited the graphics, photo and design staffs in to the reporting process early on almost always got the best display for their work. |
By Ron Reason Not to be republished without permission or recirculated without attribution. 1. Put yourself in the place of the reader. Step
away from your reporting and research, before you undertake the
writing or editing (this is important), and ask: "If I were a
reader, what about this story would I like to be shown, rather than
told in text?" Sometimes it will be a photo or illustration, but
often it will be a more simple, text-only pullout, with at-a-glance
information that may draw the reader into your subject the way the
inverted pyramid might not.2. Plan early, plan often. Almost every story has some kind of graphic potential.
But many stories defy visual presentation on deadline: Either a
photo needs to be taken early in the process, a graphic needs to be
researched and rendered (drawn), or an illustration needs to be
requested, conceptualized and executed. The key is bringing your
colleagues who perform all three of those functions into the process
as early as you can. Ask for their ideas, even if your story isn't
fully baked. They might want to hold off on executing the visual
until you give them an official green light, but at least they can
start thinking about it.3. Create a team. If your story is important
enough, consider inviting a photographer or graphic artist on board,
early on, of course. The idea is not to send them out to visually
record the things you have already written about, which have already
happened. No. The goal in many instances will be to allow them to do
their own visual reporting and research, in a way that complements
and strengthens, but doesn't necessarily repeat, the information you
have gathered for the text. 4. Think graphics. Where did the news happen? What
was the process? What is the timeline of events leading up to the
news you are covering? Who are the key players? For every story you
write and edit, consider whether a bar chart, pie chart, fever line,
locator map, or other explanatory graphic would be helpful. And set
your request in motion as early as possible. (At the same time, be
realistic of the limitations of your staff. Not every story will be
able to carry a graphic, or photo, even if it deserves one. Make
friends with your art editor, negotiate in a civil manner, and
follow some of the next items listed below, and you'll increase your
chances of getting a great graphic to run with your text.)5. Bring back lots of STUFF to your artists and designers. You can't give them too much raw material to work with.
They don't have to use it all, but they'll appreciate you greatly.
Names and phone numbers of sources. A sketch (by yourself or by a
source) showing where or how something happened. Resource photos
(either loaned or permanently given) from sources that might be used
in the design, in a graphic, as a resource for a drawing, or simply
as a reference you may use later to add color to your writing. Even
things like annual reports and operations manuals will be of
interest to your art and design staff. 6. Learn how others have covered the story visually. As
you are doing your research, take note if you see that another
newspaper or wire service has covered the story, and if they mention
whether any visuals are available. Share this information with your
art editor or picture desk; suggest that they call the news
organization for a copy of the visual. (The best newsrooms will have
many friends around the country who will swap visuals in exchange
for good will at a later time.) 7. Don't waste the photographers' or artists' time. If
all your story needs is a head shot of an aspiring politician,
please ask his press agent for a handout photo of the guy. You might
buy back an hour for your staff photographer, which will be better
used to cover breaking news that has a truly interesting visual
angle to it. Similarly, if you are writing a story about a local
artist who does sketches or watercolors, ask if you can borrow her
art work, or if she can drop by the newsroom with some of the art.
It can be scanned and digitized quickly and she can be on her way in
no time. You'll save lots of time, film, and the logistical hassles
of sending a photographer out for another "copy job" (which, along
with mug shots, is not considered professionally rewarding at
all).8. Take an interest in "your" photographer or artist's work ... It's important that you know early on
whether the visuals and words are going to match up. This is not a
deadline surprise you want to inflict on the copy desk. Check in and
see how things are going as the visual story is coming together;
support them if things are moving in the right direction, and if
not, point out where you think revisions should occur. 9. ... but don't meddle too much.
It's one thing to ask, "can I look over the proof sheets for our big
weekend profile of the mayor?" and quite another to ask "please take
a photo of the mayor on the northwest corner of the roof of his
office building with his hair blowing in the breeze, and riding a
unicycle, to show that he's a carefree guy." A good photographer is
a visual journalist who should be given sufficient time to interpret
the story visually. Don't treat her like a production slave.10. Last, but not least, don't forget to clue in the designer or copy editor. It's one thing to develop good relations
with the photo and art staffs. But all the great planning and
collaborating in the world won't amount to beans if you don't raise
a flag for the people who lay out the paper about what's coming
down the pike. The earlier they can be brought in to the process,
the better.
Take this tip from someone who designed pages, requested photos and
helped edit graphics for 10 years at the St. Petersburg Times: The
star reporters were almost always those who respected their visual
colleagues. And those who invited the graphics, photo and design
staffs in to the process early on almost always got the best display
for their pages. A happy copy editor will do his or her best to
showcase your writing; a cranky designer probably won't give a hoot
(and the presentation of your story will show it). Do you have other suggestions about how writers and editors can think and work more visually? Or a case study of where your newsroom did a great job of working together, or fell down on the job? I'd love to hear it. E-mail me below, and feel free to include a PDF that's worth bragging about. © 2006, Ron Reason, click here to email. Not to be republished without permission or recirculated without attribution. Back to top of page |
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Updated: January 2006 Email me here
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