Thanks to my participation in the PR Newswire session on visual storytelling, the topic has kept top of mind and prompted a post on sources to inspire visual storytelling.
You know how when you buy a new car, the following week it seems like every time you come to a stoplight and look left, you see the same car.
This seems to be happening to me with visual storytelling.
Every time I pick up a publication, click on a site or experience a long wait at Chipotle, visual storytelling makes an appearance.
The latest example comes from the Huffington Post and a recruitment ad for a job title called “visual journalist.”
We already know HuffPo has the visual storytelling religion.
After all, this is the publication that brings us visuals like the “Noodle Eater Hair Guard.”
What is surprising to me is a job that requires experience in HTML, Javascript, Raphael, etc., is called a visual journalist.
I’ve always thought these attributes describe a graphic designer with programming skills.
You have to admit. It is rich that Huffington Post of all publications has established this job title vernacular.
Of course, “click bait visualizer” doesn’t quite have the same ring as “visual journalist.”
Note: While not the thrust of this post, the HuffPo ad supports my thesis that no one – not even a media property who’s core competency lies in writing with verve – pays much attention to the copywriting for job descriptions. This is a company that strives to provoke with lead sentences that grab the reader by the scruff of the neck. Yet, the ad starts out:
- The Huffington Post is looking for a visual journalist with a keen interest in news and politics to join our data journalism desk.
Enough said.
I last tackled this topic in “The Best Job Descriptions on the Planet.”