Show - Don't Tell - With Graphics

The old cliché says a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, so is a graphic.

The Arizona Republic publishes monthly economic data such as the unemployment rate, gas prices and home sales in charts on one page. Nothing says job growth has declined better than a downward sloping line.

Today’s Tip: Rely on charts instead of text for numbers-heavy stories. Think about the indicators that are most relevant in your community and use a graphic form – pie chart, line graph, etc. – that best illustrates them.

However, resist the temptation to “steal from your data” with introductory text that restates the numbers. Remember: graphics are one of the best ways to get mind-numbing numbers out of a narrative. Instead, seek an economist at a local university, state economic-development agency, bank or your regional Federal Reserve Board office to explain the broader implications of the data.