On Thursday April 7, the Ad Club of Toronto hosted the 2022 Virtual Newspaper Day event, with a panel of experts discussing how visual storytelling and photojournalism have changed the paradigm of content for Canadians, and how technology has changed journalism at its core.
Sean Stanleigh, head of the Globe Content Studio, moderated a discussion with the following panelists:
- Leah Bjornson – Content Works, Executive Producer, Western Canada
- Lucinda Chodan – Postmedia Network, Senior Vice President, Editorial (former)
- Colin Dacre – Castanet, Content Manager
- Frank O’Connor – Loyalist College, Program Coordinator, Photojournalism
- Cameron Tulk – Toronto Star, Graphics Editor
- Steve White – News Photographers Association of Canada, Executive Director / News Foundation of Canada, Founding President
The questions explored by the panel included:
- Has the pandemic spurred any changes to the design and visual presentation of news?
- Does visual storytelling boost the trust and credibility of news? If so, how?
- How is visual storytelling being used to inspire deep consumer connections (with news media brands)? How does it differ from other forms of storytelling (i.e., articles, infographics, etc.)?
- How has photojournalism in newspapers evolved, and how has its impact translated to the digital world?
- In an era of the loosely defined term ‘fake news,’ and the ability to create actual fakes using digital technology, what has been the impact on visual storytelling and other forms of reporting?
- What visual formats are garnering the most engagement? Is there a risk that audiences will ‘scan’ highly visual formats rather than immersing themselves in the content?
- What trends are happening as the next evolution in visual storytelling? How has social media, TikTok in particular, redefined the approach?
Special thanks to the moderator, panelists and all attendees. A recording of the event is available here for those that missed the event.
