Journalists around the world criticize errors and sensationalism of bin Laden death infographics

JOURNALISM IN THE AMERICAS Blog

Journalists and experts from 22 countries around the world have endorsed a statement criticizing the non-factual infographics used in news coverage of Osama bin Laden's death, and calling for high standards for infographics, according to Nieman Watchdog.

The statement, written by Juan Antonio Giner, president of the Innovation International Media Consulting Group, and Alberto Cairo, director of infographics at Época in Brazil, so far has been signed by 58 different journalists, from publications such as El Mundo (Spain), Time (USA), the Boston Globe (USA), National Geographic (USA), Globe and Mail (Canada), Reforma (Mexico), Al Shabiba (Oman), Clarín (Argentina), Cadena Capriles (Venezuela), The Guardian and The Observer (UK), the Washington Post (USA), and Estado de S. Paulo (Brazil).

"Some editors, given a sensational story and little detail, acted as if they were in show business, not the news business," the statement says. "Graphics often were flashy and hyped and very inventive – good show business – but if they portrayed what actually happened, it was only by accident," as the White House was slow to release details of the raid, and the story of what happened kept changing, resulting in conflicting information.

For example, "publications presented as facts what was just fiction," such as in these graphics from the New York Post, these in UOL Notícias in Brazil, and these from the UK.

VisualJournalism offers a roundup of the good, the bad and the ugly of breaking news infographics produced after bin Laden's death. That from Argentina's Clarín was deemed the best of the lot, but the infrographic in Brazil's UOL "doesn't even make an attempt to get the facts right," and Spain's El Mundo was "too much guesswork in disguise."

Similarly, the GraphicGibbon blog compiled infographics from around the world of bin Laden's death, noting some newspapers "just plainly made it all up."

As such, the statement endorsed by journalists offers six rules to avoid an "infographics circus" and ensure editors "practice restraint and not rush with images when the facts are not there."

Such rules include:

1) No infographic can be produced in the absence of reliable information.

2) No infographic should include elements that are not based on known facts and available evidence.

3) No infographic should be presented as being factual when it is fictional or based on unverified assumptions.

4) No infographic should be published without crediting its source(s) of information.

5) Information graphics professionals should refuse to produce any visual presentation that includes imaginary components designed to make it more "appealing" or "spectacular."

6) Infographics are neither illustrations nor "art." Infographics are visual journalism and must be governed by the same ethical standards that apply to other areas of the profession.

Posted at 2011-05-09 10:43

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1 comment

Nathan Walters wrote 1 year 23 hours ago

Media amplification of Bin Laden's death

I am sure that the media amplification of this death will include a large dose of propoganda on both sides of this ideology war.
One example is the news that Bin Laden had a large stash of pronography. The war on terror is really a war of ideas and I feel that the USA (which gives so much money and aid to Pakistan) is beginning to get on top of the terrorists.
I just hope the USA doesn't make too many propoganda statements in the press which are later retracted because this makes our country look so bad and only serves to boost the terrorists cause.
Just my two cents worth.

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