Editing graphicsACES Miami

April 19, 2007Bill Cloud

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

A good map or chart:A good map or chart:

• Is free of errors.• Is easily understood by the readers.• Makes good use of its allotted

space.• Is clearly connected to the story.• Has text elements that complement,

rather than repeat, accompanying headlines.

A good map …• Includes, in most cases, both a north

pointer and a distance scale.• Clearly labels the significant elements

on the map.• Labels streets and other landmarks

mentioned in the story.• Aids a reader who may go to or pass

through the area.

A good chart …

¶ Presents information clearly without wasting space.

¶ Reflects changes in the value of the dollar.

¶ Reflects changes in the population.¶ Appropriately rounds off large numbers.¶ Puts numbers into perspective.

A map should be clear

and uncluttered

(Unlike this one.)

Distance scales:Needed or not?

Almost every map, including this one, needs to show distances.

Distance scales:Needed or not?Distance

scales:Needed or not?

This is probably a reasonable exception because we’re showing the entire United States and aren’t concerned with distances.

Do story and map connect?

Shouldn’t we tell our readers that the line shows the migratory route and let them know the flying distance?

Do story and map connect?Here, the cutline with the map makes the difference.

Does the map aid the reader?

Where is Eighth Avenue?

How will traffic detour?

Can we show the route?

Accounting for inflation

Stamp prices shown are misleading …

Accounting for inflation

…unless you consider the

changing value of the dollar, as

indicated by the

lengthened lines.

Check inflation at bls.gov

Accounting for inflation

Here’s an interesting chart

showing the growth of the Maine lobster business. The problem is …

Accounting for inflation

Value of lobsters in 2000 dollars

… It doesn’t reflect the change in the value of the dollar

Accounting for inflation

Price Per Pound in 2000 dollars

Actually, the price peaked in 1973!

1950 2002

6.00

$3.00

Linear deception

Linear deception

Is the footnote enough here? Shouldn’t we do something else to show readers that

the ’04 figures are for part of

a year?

Controlling for population

The chart shows differences in funding amounts among states and some cities, but those differences mainly reflect population differences. Compare it with a graph of the state populations.

Controlling for population

A per-capita comparison presents a very different picture.

Out of?

For perspective, we should be told how many people are employed in each office and in the state as a whole.

Out of?Again, we need

the totals for the district and for each school to understand the

scope of the problem.

Worth the

space?

Worth the

space?In this case, a table presents the infor-mation more clearly and allows us to add a crucial figure: the elec-toral votes available in each state.

Beware, pie charts

• They do a poor job in ranking proportions.

• The numbers and the slices can be hard to connect.

• The slices get to be too thin for nourishment.

What to do instead?

• Often, simple tables are best.

• Consider the “cake” chart.

•Shares are more clear.

•Rank ordering is simpler. But: What about the number of accidents?

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

1980-81 1990-91 2000-01

Car fatalities, by direction of impact – 1980-2001

Driver deaths in cars 1-3 years old, per million cars

registered

86 (52%)

62 (53%) 41

(46%)

42 (26%)

37 (32%)

32 (37%)

36 (22%)

18(15%)14(17%)

Front Impact

Other

Side Impact

Car safety experts shift focus to side impact

As highway deaths have declined, the share of deaths blamed on side impact crashes has risen.

A lot more information in

the same space.