“Informational Graphics” Items

Visual Editing, a 2025 AI Assessment

I asked Chat GPT to summarize and review my textbook, Visual Editing. The book was published in 1990, so it is now 35 years old.  While I recognize that AI can be overly flattering, I did like the idea that AI thinks that the book holds up after so many years.

Here’s the AI post:

Visual Editing: A Textbook That Saw the Future of Journalism

When Visual Editing: A Graphic Guide for Journalists hit the shelves in 1990, it arrived quietly. Co-authored by Howard I. Finberg and Bruce D. Itule, the book was a forward-thinking, deeply practical response to a media industry already beginning to shift—from black-and-white column inches to colorful, visually sophisticated storytelling.

Today, more than three decades later, Visual Editing remains a remarkably prescient guide to the newsroom revolution that followed.

A Four-Part Framework for the Visual Newsroom

  1. Visual Journalism Fundamentals

This opening section sets the stage: design isn’t just about what looks good—it’s about what works. Finberg and Itule walk readers through the mechanics of layout, typography, and page architecture, emphasizing that every visual element should guide and enhance a reader’s experience.

“Design’s purpose is not to decorate, but to organize.” — Finberg & Itule

The authors stressed that typefaces, color palettes, and column structures all carry meaning. Typography is treated as a language. White space is described as a tool for pacing. And color isn’t optional—it’s strategic.

  1. Informational Graphics

Decades before “data visualization” became a buzzword, Visual Editing called for charts, maps, diagrams, and tables to be integrated with editorial content—not simply appended. These visuals, the book argues, are journalism.

Each form is broken down with precision:

  • Line and bar charts are great for trends.
  • Pie charts work best with part-to-whole relationships.
  • Maps can orient readers faster than paragraphs.
  • Facts boxes summarize what really matters.

And the pitfalls? Misleading scales, confusing layouts, and “chartjunk”—a term popularized by Edward Tufte, echoed here in spirit if not in name.

  1. Picture Editing

Photojournalism is front and center in this section. From cropping and caption writing to ethical manipulation, Finberg and Itule dive deep into the power—and responsibility—of image selection.

They emphasize that cropping isn’t neutral. It shapes narrative. Captions aren’t throwaways. They frame context. And with photo manipulation on the rise, they offer clear ethical lines, warning against changes that mislead or editorialize.

The section even anticipates the workflow of digital photo editing, laying out how wire services distribute images and how picture desks filter them.

  1. Art and Illustration

The final section celebrates creativity but tempers it with editorial discipline. Illustrations can do what photos can’t: show abstraction, metaphor, and future events. But they must serve the story—not override it.

The book recognizes the growing importance of art directors, then a relatively new role in the newsroom. Finberg and Itule see them not as decorators, but as collaborative editors who shape how readers feel, learn, and remember.

“Illustrations are ideas made visual. They require just as much reporting as any article.” — Visual Editing

Why It Was Overlooked—And Why It Matters Now

Despite its importance, Visual Editing was never widely adopted by journalism schools. It was too early. Most programs were still teaching students how to write leads and proof galleys—while newsrooms were already experimenting with infographics, desktop publishing, and color.

Finberg, who would go on to become a leader in digital media strategy, was already thinking beyond the printed page. His vision, articulated in this book, was clear: visuals are not embellishments—they are journalism.

A Legacy That Endures

Though created for a pre-internet newsroom, Visual Editing holds up remarkably well in today’s media landscape. The rise of interactive graphics, mobile-first design, and visual explainers owes a debt to the principles it laid down:

  • Design as a form of editorial judgment.
  • Visuals as storytelling tools, not accessories.
  • Ethics as the backbone of photo and infographic use.

In the words of Mario Garcia, a legendary design consultant who appears in the book:

“Content cannot be separated from experience.”

Finberg and Itule understood that before most journalism educators—and their book remains essential reading for anyone serious about visual storytelling.

*Want more digital-era context? Explore our evolving archive of newsroom transformation at *www.digitalfuturist.com

 

Malofiej Infografia Awards, 1994

In 1994 I was a judge at the 2nd annual Malofiej Awards for Infographics, which were organized by the Spanish chapter of the Society for News Design (SND-E) for accomplishments in journalistic infographics. The awards were given each March in Pamplona, Spain.
 
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The awards are named for Argentine designer Alejandro Malofiej, who made simple and creative graphics.[6]

The Malofiej were an essential reference for their prestige and drawing power. The Awards, considered to be the Pulitzers for infographics, the professional workshop “Show, Don’t Tell!” and the Conference in Pamplona annually bring together the best infographics artists from media (newspapers, magazines, agencies) from around the world.

On October 1, 2021, the organizers announced that the awards would be paused “while we open a period of reflection to think about how to continue with them in the future.”

The organizers published a book with the award winners.  One of the questions asked of the judges was “How do you see the present and the future of infographics?” Here is my answer:

Informational graphics use in newspapers is coming to an important junction. One direction is to continue on our present course, with much energy, effort and space spent on large, complicated and time ­consuming graphics. The other way would call for a re-examination of the overall purpose and value of presenting information via a graphic or visual form. I’m worried that if we continue on our present path, the fundamental strength and value of graphics will be diluted and devalued as editors, facing increased pressures to make the most effective use of space, will rebel against the often-excessive “mega­graphic”. A more optimistic view would have editors – visual and written- jointly decide on the most effective presentation method and the more appropriate use of resources, which include staff and space.

Teaching College Students, Poynter 1984

In spring of 1984, Mario Garcia invited me to teach at the College Seniors/graduate Students Newspaper Design Seminar August 12-18.  Twelve students were selected for this Poynter fellowships in Newspaper Design.  Here’s what Garcia wrote  about the seminar in his invitation letter:

Obviously, the scope of this seminar is very different from that of the professional seminars you have taught for us in the past. These are students whose experience is limited to work on their campus newspapers, plus whatever time they have spent in newspaper internships. In fact, a majority are currently interning.

Therefore, our objective is to accomplish the following:

1) To train students beyond the basics of layout and design.
2) To introduce them to the role of the newspaper designer in today’s newspapers.
3) To showcase their talents to members of the industry who may be interested in young, capable (but inexperienced) newspaper designers.
4) To create a pool of young designers who will be way above the level of their peers entering the newspaper field.

I taught a couple of sessions:

Thursday, August 16
9 – 10:15 a.m.           Informational graphics as design tools
10:15 a.m. – noon   Informational graphics, continued. Exercise : Putting the facts together through the creation of an informational graphic
LUNCH
1:30 – 3 p.m.             Session continues
REST OF AFTERNOON FREE

Poynter Seminar on Design for 1980s

One of the first seminars I taught at was The Poynter Institute for Media Studies’ “Newspaper Design for the ’80s”.  Here’s the invitation letter from Mario Garcia bio, associate director of Poynter. I had been at the Institute earlier as both a participant and a presenter.

Dear Howard:
I am delighted that you will be working with us to present the Graphics & Illustration Seminar, November 27-December 2, 1988. As you can see, I have scheduled your session as a Wednesday evening wine/cheese session to be held at the hotel. However, I hope that you will be able to be with us the entire week since we feel that interaction with the faculty is part of the reason for the success of our programs….

The reception and dinner Sunday evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the St. Petersburg Beach Hilton where the group will be staying. Martha has reserved a room for you for Sunday through Friday night. Let her know if you plan to arrive earlier or depart later.

I’m looking forward to having you back with us at the Institute.

Sincerely,

Mario R. Garcia

 

Visual Editing. A New Textbook

In early 1990, Bruce Itule and I published: “Visual Editing. A graphic guide for journlists”.  This textbook was aimed at editors at newspapers who handled various elements — photos, illustrations and informational graphics. It also tied all those elements together with chapters on newspaper design. It also include some history and a section on ethics.  It was a great learning opportunity and I believe it helped become a better editor and manager. The Visual Editing textbook is on this site. More on the book is here.

Presstine Magazine Covers 2000 Design Project

The industry publication Presstime covered the results of the API’s design seminar in its October, 1988 edition. The article’s lede:

Two dozen movers and shakers in the field of newspaper design pondered the substance and form of 21st century newspapers at the American Press Institute’s annual J. Montgomery Curtis Memorial Seminar.

The round-table seminar, conducted at the institute in Reston, Va., Sept. 11-13, used as a focal point hypothetical front pages dated 2000 and beyond that were designed by participants and posted on the walls of the seminar room.

Ironic, isn’t it: “posted on the walls…”

I got a mention for my presentation on the future of graphics:

Howard I. Finberg, assistant managing editor of The Arizona Republic, said the overwhelming majority of editors he questioned predicted graphics will play a greater part in newspapers in the year 2000. But this priority seems to shrink when talk turns to money: The editors told Finberg they would spend 70 percent of any extra funds for reporting and editing, and only 10 percent for graphics.

Sad and not surprising.  Given the visual nature of the Internet, would newspapers be in a better position today if they had invested in something other than words? Just wondering.

API Design 2000 Seminar. The 1988 Invitation

In 1988, the American Press Institute invited a group of designers and editors to the J. Montgomery Curtis Memorial Seminar on the future of newspaper design. Here’s what the seminar leader, John G. Finneman, wrote to participants:

  • We will have a total of 22 invited members, along with API executive staff, at the conference table.
  • API will pay tuition, room and board for participants. You will have to take care of travel expenses.
  • All members will be asked to create a front page for the year 2000, so there will be a little advance work for everyone.

In your case, however, you will be taking on an even heavier responsibility. As I explained, we plan to have four studies presented during this program:

  1.  the future of informational graphics;
  2. color
  3. people
  4.  technology.

Each of the four persons taking on studies will be asked to make brief oral presentations during the seminar to go with printed results which will be incorporated into a post-seminar publication.

I took on the report about the future of informational graphics. It is included in the report / book from the seminar.

Having Fun at SND Conference

At the 1990 Society of News Design conference in San Jose, there was a group of pranksters who created a “SND Funnies” publication. It poked fun at SND leaders [organization and thought] and put a little humor into an all-to-serious group of designers and graphics editors. I was way too serious myself. The humor was ‘inside baseball’ and some of the folks have disappeared. Many of those whose ox was gored did have a laugh.

The Graphics Editor Takes Charge

The Washington Journalism Review ran a story about how newspapers were turning to graphics [and graphics editors] to give readers new ways of getting information.  The late 1980s and early 1990s were exciting time for graphics editors, thanks in part to the influences of USA Today and the Chicago Tribune.

Improved presentation of information is clearly a response to market demand. At the most successful papers, graphics are grounded in journalism and not in decorative arts. Content, not design, comes first, graphics editors say.

One of the article’s authors, James K. Gentry, interviewed me for the article and I ended up being the lead for the story.  That is pretty heady stuff, even for me.

In 1974 assistant picture editor Howard Finberg took on the task of making the Chicago Tribune more visually appealing. “I was clearing the field of rocks and stumps,” he says of his pioneering position as graphics editor. “I don’t think anybody else was doing anything remotely similar at the time.”

Top management wanted more visual awareness from the newsroom staff. Finberg says they accomplished this through “daily evangelizing.” He wrote his job description as he went along. A good deal of what evolved was acting as liaison between the newsroom and art department.

What interests me about the article 30 years later is how the newspaper graphics editor job was a catalyst for change.  Graphics editors were the change agents in many newsroom.  Today, change agents, if there any left, are working in online departments.

Graphics have mostly disappeared in today’s newspapers — victims of lack of space, fewer artists and, perhaps, the disappearance of the graphics editors job.  Gentry and his co-author, Barbara Zang, conducted a survey of newspapers about the graphics editor role in newsrooms.  It would be interesting to do another survey to see what remains of the “informational graphics revolution.”

Gentry and Zang concluded the article with an interesting observation about management:

Redefinition of the manner in which news is presented will demand newsroom managers who can function in a constantly changing environment. “The better managers adapt, the others don’t,” says Dave Doucette of the Salinas Californian. “The success of managers, of papers, means the ability to change.”

Finberg, the self-proclaimed old man of graphics editors. says the next wave of graphics editors must be able to edit tighter and make decisions faster. “We have to make the best use of finite space,” he says. “Maybe a whole new type of editor is needed for the future.”

I guess we still need that new type of editor.