"Visual journalism is slow-at least it seems so, compared with written journalism. While many written pieces take a day or two, visual stories can easily take weeks to produce. Meanwhile the news cycle is advancing a few rounds. By tracking the time on a sample project, three time sinks can be identified that contribute to the slower pace of visual journalism: Research takes longer than in written journalism It involves many more tools Visual journalists are also designers"
"The examined specimen is a piece on the cramped living conditions in the Gaza strip. Its main visual is a 3D-illustration of rooms filled with people. This chart contrasts the living space for a typical Swiss person to the space available to someone living in Gaza. This centerpiece is complemented with a map showing what proportion of buildings are still intact, and how the South is filling up due to people fleeing. From pitch to publication, it took two weeks."
Visual journalism often requires weeks to complete compared with days for written pieces, while the news cycle continues to move quickly. A sample project on cramped living conditions in the Gaza strip used a 3D illustration comparing living space and a map showing intact buildings and population movement. The project took two weeks from pitch to publication and was mostly completed by a single person, enabling a detailed timesheet. Research and analysis consumed four days, design and graphics two days, and writing about one day, with three days spent on other tasks. The main time sinks are longer research, multiple tools, and dual journalist-designer responsibilities.
Read at Nightingale
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