Towards A Code OF Ethics For Journalistic Cartography: Graphics Professionals’ Perspectives On Visual Storytelling

Abstract

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Geographic Information Science and Cartography) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2023.

In this research, I document an interview study with 17 news cartographers to explore how journalistic ethics are applied to cartographic visual storytelling. News organizations have produced some of the most widely seen and broadly impactful maps in recent memory, placing considerable ethical obligations on news maps and those who make them. This study addresses a research gap: the lack of work exploring which principles influence design decisions in the creation of cartographic visual stories, as well as how cartographers—journalistic or otherwise—interpret and apply ethics to their work. I ask how cartography may be informed by journalistic norms to answer Roth’s (2021) call to draw from professional standards to establish tent poles of ethical visual design and storytelling.
 
 Interview participants discussed bringing certain practices and workflows of journalism to their work as graphics professionals. Participants described validating data and interviewing sources as key practices for seeking and reporting truth. To minimize harm, participants informed their work with relevant cultural and historical context, and aggregated data to protect individuals. Participants
 recommended being skeptical of sources to ensure their work is ultimately serving the interests of the public. Finally, participants identified a public-facing explainer as their primary means of being accountable and transparent. Participant recommendations are summarized in a list of best practices for ethical cartographic storytelling.