newspapers

Slowing Down for Quality

hot air balloon in Wisconsin

We live in a somewhat busy airway. We’re centrally located between Madison and Milwaukee airports so jet trails frequently criss-cross our upper skies. We’re 90 minutes south of Oshkosh, which means in July fleets of propellers drone past on their way to the EAA AirVenture. If that’s not enough, we’re also a couple miles from a hot air balloonist who regularly offers scenic tours to air-loving adventurists. I shot this photo a few evenings ago from my front porch.

Each of our airway occupants serves its own purpose. But if I want to experience the true intimacy of Wisconsin’s countryside, a hot air balloon would definitely be the way to go. Several times a week I’ll hear the gentle whoosh of balloon burners and sure enough, in duly relaxed time, a colorful swell comes drifting by. Oh, the aeronautical artistry of it!

We wave to each other, they and I.

I thought of the balloon this morning while reading a New York Times piece on inaccurate journalism. The writer offers a prescription for such quick-handed shoddiness with four words: “Less speed. More transparency.”

Less speed, more transparency—that’s exactly what I strive for in my work. In ten years of entrepreneurship, I’ve learned if I take on too many jobs at once, my office airways become hectic and the detailed, personal attention I like to give clients dissipates like a jet trail. Nowadays, that’s just not the business life for me.

I’m never going to cover much ground when it comes to high earnings, but that’s okay. I like knowing my work is the greatest quality it can be. I like helping my clients succeed.

I like the soaring we do together.

I’m currently accepting projects for November and beyond. Need copywriting or graphic design to get your business off the ground? Let’s get in touch.

 

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Wednesday Webs: Newspaper Nameplates

 

Newspaper nameplate design by Adunate

I’ve been researching newspaper nameplates for an upcoming project. Sometimes people refer to these as mastheads, but technically, in newspaper design the masthead is a section that lists the name of the publisher, contact information and subscription rates. Whatever. The top banner of the newspaper is what I’m working on. And here’s what I’ve run across in my research:

  • Ever wonder why newspaper mastheads were always done in Gothics? According to Font Factory, these typefaces embody the longstanding credibility newspapers wish to convey.
  • This instructor’s site takes me back to my college days. One of my favorite journalism classes: Newspaper Design.
  • Newspapers aren’t dead. Here are trends in news design.
  • When it comes to inspiration, nothing beats Pinterest!

 

How (Un)Ethical is Our Design?

Yesterday, my daughter and I discussed a recent New York Times article regarding criticism of an Obama cover photo.

The photo was used by the weekly news magazine The Economist for its June 19 issue. It shows Obama standing, head bowed, hands on hips, with an oil rig in the background. And he’s alone. It’s a dramatic shot evoking a strong message.

Turns out, in the original photo, Obama isn’t alone. Reuters photographer Larry Downing shot the image with two people standing alongside Obama, participating in an apparent conversation.

The Economist’s decision to digitally remove these two has caused a bit of ruckus. Some, including Reuters, feel altering the image has also altered the message.

My daughter’s and my discussion was interesting.

As a visual communications professional, I surmised the magazine wanted to convey a sense of isolation, that Obama is alone in his responsibility of the Gulf oil mess. The Economist’s editor claims not, but given the headline “Obama v. BP” and the story’s content, it’s hard to imagine otherwise. Whatever their motive, editing the extras from the photo creates a very striking composition.

My daughter viewed the issue from a journalistic side. As an attorney interested in government and current affairs, she felt altering the image was a misrepresentation of the event as it occurred. It did not convey the truth.

With today’s sophisticated editing software, this conflict of ethics becomes commonplace. We define graphic design as the use of words and images to visually communicate a message. Photojournalism, on the other hand, is the use of photography to tell a news story. The question we must then consider is how blurred can the line between the two become?

When does editing a photo become unethical?

Is editing software a threat to photojournalism?

Is a magazine cover a journalistic piece or an artistic piece?

How do photojournalism, advertising and art differ, and how should editing ethics apply to each?

What’s your opinion?