Approaching My Chart

I'm not one for hippie dippie serendipity most of the time, but this assignment came to me while I was knitting and listening to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, as evidenced by the presence of Rita Skeeter on the chart. As I was listening, Rita Skeeter told Hermione, Harry, and Luna that "The Prophet [the wizarding newspaper] exists to sell itself", which I realized was the problem with newspapers.

Newspapers are struggling now because early attempts at online subscription fees proved problematic. Now they put their content online for all to see, which drives down the desire for the traditional form of their product (and the product they charge for). They sell themselves, but with reduced subscriptions, the invention of Craigslist, and the availability of online advertisements that will potentially reach more consumers, newspapers are struggling to make ends meet.

I wanted to show, in this chart, how newspapers have traditionally worked. I wanted to also show how the newspaper works in our everyday lives throughout time from birth announcements to obituaries. The bottom layer, which looks like a ruler, is supposed to show the passage of time and how newspapers report on the past and announce future events.

I chose to make my chart by hand, partially because I had just refilled my pens and that seemed like a good project to use new ink on, but also because it was easier to physically move the parts into place. I learned about trying different mediums - I tried making my ideas function in a word document and a Prezi - before settling on the final outcome. Next time, though, I will not be drawing by hand and I'll be using more color. Probably. Maybe. Depending on the content and layout I conceptualize, I guess.

I like the way that many of the other charts focus on specific aspects more than mine does. I think I'll try to have a more focused approach for the next assignment.

Anna C.