Journalism more than just writers; designers put the stories on the page
By Kendra Stichler
June 13, 2004 9:00 p.m.
When people find out I work for the Daily Bruin, the first
question they always ask is, “What do you write?”
“Actually, I don’t write,” I reply. “I
work in design.” They respond to this ambivalently, not
completely understanding the complexity of what design journalism
really means.
Naturally, the stories that appear in the paper and the names of
reporters seen every day on the printed page are what people think
of first when they think of journalism. But there are many more
layers of journalism that aren’t seen as clearly.
Countless hours are spent working to produce The Bruin by people
whose names you do not see in print. The placement of a photo, the
order of the articles, the decision to use a graphic are all a part
of the journalism process.
Making these journalistic decisions can be just as challenging
as the more obvious questions, such as whether to use an anonymous
source or deciding to publish a story that could damage
someone’s reputation.
As both assistant design director and design director during the
past year, I have learned this lesson firsthand. Design is not
simply about making the paper pretty, it’s about honorably
guiding the reader through the important news of the day.
It’s about knowing when to highlight a specific event and
knowing not to exaggerate a story by making it seem bigger news
than it is. It’s about spotting awkward photo juxtapositions
and knowing to avoid placing a photo in such a location that it
appears to correspond to the incorrect story.
Most importantly, it’s about making the news accessible to
readers and helping to tell the stories of the day in a responsible
manner.
These past four years I have worked at The Bruin have served as
a training ground for a professional journalistic world that I may
never enter. Nonetheless, I leave with an appreciation and
admiration for all types of journalists because their decisions are
never easy.
Thought, care, disagreement and compromise go into every issue
of the paper. You do not have to be a writer to learn this lesson.
And although this is my first and only story written for the Daily
Bruin, hopefully the journalistic choices I have made in the past
have had a meaningful effect.
Stichler was the 2003-2004 design director.
