One of the keys to using visual media in social activism is finding the right tool for the job. When does a satirical animation trump a hard hitting documentary? Or a painting have more impact than a B&W photo?
I am a bit of a map nerd due to my use of OS maps to hike in the UK, so was excited to see this post on Aid Watch showing the use of world maps to illustrate Africa’s need of trade links (see example above). As well as the shipping map featured above there is one for air routes and internet connections. No photograph or video could have captured so starkly the lack of interaction Africa has with the rest of the world.
However, we do need to be careful. As with other forms of visual media, what we show can be misleading. As several of the comments on Aid Watch point out, the lack of connectivity has several origins that need exploring and the map does not represent these. This leads back again to the conclusion that in order to clearly and accurately transmit our information we need a ‘communications mix‘. May be this will be the great gain of multi-media products?
Filed under: Campaigning, Graphics Tagged: | Africa, NGO
