Maps and Matters of Finance - The Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal used a simple thematic map today in their front page story to display the declining tax revenues by state. Not exciting; just a simple thematic map. I really didn't think much of it and I knew readers would find it fairly banal as well. That was page A1. Page A3 shows a map of the path of Hurricane Dolly and the potential economic impact. Page A9 shows a USGS map of natural gas potential in the Arctic Circle region. Page B2 shows a map of ExxonMobile's drilling areas off the coast of Vietnam. Page B10, tucked away amidst the larger weather map, is a map of the soy bean moisture forecast for China. In the online WSJ there's yet another article about how artificial lights are obscuring the night sky (no surprise there either) and is accompanied by a satellite image of the intensity of such light over the U.S.

By now I'm observing that the WSJ is awash in maps, and I haven't even mentioned that maps are used in two large print ads (one for the WSJ itself and one for the NYSE Euronext).

The Journal is obviously focused on finance (though now in Rupert Murdoch's hands he is positioning the paper to compete with the New York Times) and yet in order to convey significant global news, maps are an essential part of the conversation; an essential means to show exactly if not regionally the impact of economic phenomenon.

It thought the map of the Arctic Circle natural gas reserves was particularly useful. It crystallized, in my mind, the geographic extents of the reserves in control by the U.S. and that by Russia. That was a fundamental element in conveying the salient news within that story. No map, no understanding of the urgency and impact of the situation.

Comments

Unknown said…
Thinking of designing your own website?

Try www.esolz.net , a professional company which I came across while developing my website. Although I was skeptical about outsourcing my project to an offshore company, my mind was put at rest upon reviewing their proposal. It was clear that www.esolz.net is a team made up of solid web designers who provide quality, value, and support. From day one they consulted with me and involved me in every aspect of the site development.
They completed the project within the agreed 30 days and have exercised extreme diligence in maintaining the website since then.
Check out my website at www.ventureden.com

Ventureden is a global meeting place where entrepreneurs connect with angel investors and venture capitalists in order to secure startup or expansion funding for their business venture.
Entrepreneurs post their business idea or invention and instantly gain worldwide exposure.

Angel investors and venture capitalists leisurely explore investment opportunities, all from the comforts of office or home.

No matter if you?re an entrepreneur or investor, thanks to www.esolz.net our system is simple to use. Make www.esolz.net your outsourcing partner, you won?t regret it.

Regards,
Dan
www.ventureden.com
www.esolz.net
August 25, 2008 at 5:26 AM
Unknown said…
I think if we mess with this thing we are messing with the most foundational thing that we do ... Digital production is very flexible - publishers don't like to hear this.
Wholesale LED Lighting
March 7, 2014 at 10:17 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

USAToday Looks at Bleak Jobs Growth Outlook for 2010

The job outlook for 2010 doesn't look very rosy according to a map published by USAToday . Though the prospect for job growth will rebound in some areas, most states will continue to so slow or no growth. Hardest hit continue to be Florida, the upper Midwest, and Nevada. The bright spots include the corridor of Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Washington State where jobs in energy and technology are likely to be found. By metro area, look toward Huntville, Alabama, my current hometown, where jobs gowth is expected to be the highest in the country with a projected growth of 2.9%. This high tech mecca will see job growth due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) and the supporting jobs that will move into the region.
Read more

Chinese Investments in Raw Materials Mapped by Forbes.com

Image
Forbes.com created a graduated symbol map (see thumbnail at right) of the investments that the Chinese have made in various raw material sectors such as energy, minerals, and transportation. The interactive map illustrates: the accelerated growth in the number of investments made over the past five years the size of each investment the industry sector Tool tips appear as you hover the cursor over each symbol that shows: the investor the amount of the investment when the investment was made the industry sector What is striking about the portrayal of the data is not the size so much as the rapidity with which the investments have been made over just the last two years. If you watch the animated sequence, you will see how many of the investments were accomplished just recently. The feeding frenzy for raw materials is what is driving infrastructure growth throughout the Mainland.
Read more

National Media Scrambles with Maps of Haiti

As the geospatial community rushes into support rescue efforts with as much detail as possible, the national media has produced a variety of different maps to help tell the story. Wall Street Journal - The WSJ has produced a series of three excellent, interactive maps : LATEST UPDATES: a thematic map of estimated damages by block and the locations of key places like the National Palace or the UN building as well as tent camps. BEFORE AND AFTER: a satellite image base with point locations of major structures where you can view photos of before and after shots. TECTONICS: A population map overlayed with a map of the Gonave microplate and the location of the earthquake with concentric zone showing quake intensity. USA Today - Map of earthquakes with more than 1000 deaths ; provides a bit of history of and the location of major crustal plates that gives the reader a lession in plate tectonics New York Times - Map showing magnitude of the disaster and details on the impact to d
Read more