Visualizing the News: An Analysis of a Year in Interactive News from 'The New York Times' and 'The Washington Post'

In the past decade, newsrooms have been struggling to remain relevant while trying to keep and attract new audiences. Access to diverse online tools and big data has expanded the use of infographics and data visualization in news stories, increasing reader engagement with complex content. The increase of interactive visual content in journalism requires rethinking how journalistic and design elements are incorporated in a story. This study explores how The New York Times and The Washington Post incorporate principles of design and data visualization to present complex information for their readers. Using a mixed method approach, a sample of 275 articles that span over a period of one year --- from August 2014 through August 2015 --- were analyzed to identify salient forms of information visualizations.