FAQ: How does Graphic News decide what graphics to produce?

    SPORT Sports coverage is organized separately and differently from other news coverage. Sports infographics are usually produced in advance of the event, and designed to complement the build-up and the live coverage in newspapers and magazines, on TV and online. To see what graphics are currently available and in preparation, our Sports Planner is available online.
  • Graphic News uses a sports diary that is updated at the end of each year on a sport-by-sport basis for the following year. Events of world interest are selected.
  • Many events are covered by packages with multiple graphics, in formats both for print (static graphics) and digital (responsive screen graphics). There may also be artwork utilities such as team crests and kits that can be used for page decoration.
  • Results coverage is generally for digital media only, interactive graphics produced with live results feeds.
    NEWS News coverage is organized on a more day-by-day basis so that breaking news can be covered as well as events that are known of in advance. For details of graphics currently available and in preparation, our News Planner is available online.
  • For daily planning, an in-house “SCHEDULE" is prepared each day by the “anchor person” (usually Duncan Mil or Jordi Bou). They start before everybody else and spend 2-3 hours searching the wires and online looking for topics suitable for graphics.
  • Suggestions/requests from subscribing media publishers are also taken into account, as are future news stories from GN NEWSAHEAD and anniversaries featured in the GN ON THIS DAY database.
  • The SKED usually details 5 or so suitable events. Topics are selected:
    • that have a particular news link
    • that are topical and newsworthy
    • that are of worldwide interest
    • for which there is sufficient information available (both data and visual information)
    • which could be covered in time to meet the news deadline
    Topics include current affairs and politics, business and finance, science and technology, motoring, entertainment…
  • As other team members start later, when the anchor person may be in the middle of producing their own graphic, each member selects a graphic to produce from the SKED, or may suggest an alternative topic from their own research. They let everyone else in the team know what they are doing via a team chat group.
  • The graphics produced are designed to stand-alone and to tell the news story visually, rather than to be an appendage to a words story. Simple maps and charts are undoubtedly also useful but are better created as and when needed rather than supplied as part of an agency service.
  • Most graphics are made available both for print (static graphic), and digital (responsive screen graphic). Larger graphics or graphics suitable for animation are also made into interactives.