“I learned it on the job”

Abstract

Graphs, charts, and infographics have long been a part of newsrooms. Nevertheless, in recent decades, new data processing and graphical representation findings have led to a boom in data and visual journalism. Both professionals and newsrooms have had to adapt quickly to the fast-developing field of Data Visualization while facing an unprecedented crisis. Through semi-structured interviews with worldwide graphic reporters and data journalists, this research delves into academic backgrounds, daily tasks, and design processes to answer the question of how someone comes to design graphics for a living in recent years. One common phenomenon was identified: self-teaching.