A Minefield of the Principles Of Universal Design: Digital Maps and Journalism

Year 2018, Volume: 5 Issue: 4, 163 - 177, 30.07.2018

Bilge Narin

https://doi.org/10.17680/erciyesiletisim.422452

Cited By: 1

Abstract

Even though maps are one of the oldest types of news storytelling as an effective
way to transfer news with spatial content, it is a neglected topic in communication
studies. On the other hand, news mapping has entered a new stage with the news
on digital platforms and developments in web technologies. While the emergence of
large data sets has led to the popularization of digital cartography, journalists need
to add cartography to their professional competency. In this study, firstly, the findings
of a limited number of studies on maps in newspapers are summarized. Then, digital
map stories are evaluated in the context of new technological possibilities. In the
last part of the study, the importance of the principles of universal design in the
context of web accessibility is questioned with the sample of the digital maps on
the most clicked online newspapers in Turkey. The sample is limited to the digital
news maps that are related to the Turkish constitutional referendum on 16th April
2017. As a result of the research, it has been determined that the technological
features expected to facilitate access to information by disadvantaged groups are
not sufficiently used in the design and contents of the digital maps.

Keywords

digital cartography, the principles of universal design, map, internet journalism

Evrensel Tasarım İlkelerinin Mayınlı Alanı: Dijital Haritalar ve Gazetecilik

Abstract

Haritalar mekânsal bir içeriğe sahip haberleri aktarmanın etkili bir yolu olarak
en eski haber anlatı türlerinden olsa da iletişim araştırmalarında ihmal edilen
bir alan olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Öte yandan haberin dijital platformlara
taşınması ve web teknolojilerindeki gelişmeler ile birlikte, haber haritacılığı
yeni bir evreye girmiştir. Büyük veri setlerinin ortaya çıkması dijital haritacılığın
popülerleşmesine neden olurken, gazetecilerin öz yeteneklerine kartografinin de
eklenmesini gerekli kılmıştır. Bu araştırmada, alandaki eksikliği gidermek amacıyla
öncelikle gazetelerdeki harita anlatılarıyla ilgili sınırlı sayıdaki araştırmanın
bulguları özetlenmiştir. Ardından, dijital harita anlatıları yeni teknolojik olanaklar
bağlamında değerlendirilmiştir. Çalışmanın son bölümünde, Türkiye’de çok tıklanan
çevrimiçi gazetelerde yer verilen dijital haritalarda evrensel tasarım ilkelerinin
web erişilebilirliği bağlamında ne derece önemsendiği sorgulanmıştır. Örneklem
16 Nisan 2017 Anayasa değişikliği referandumuyla ilgili dijital haber haritaları
ile sınırlı tutulmuştur. Araştırma sonucunda dezavantajlı grupların enformasyona
erişimini kolaylaştırması beklenen teknolojik özelliklerin, dijital haritaların tasarım
ve içeriklerinde yeterince kullanılmadığı saptanmıştır.

Keywords

dijital kartografya, evrensel tasarım ilkeleri, harita, internet gazeteciliği

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