Visual Arrangement

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Strategic Dimensions of Visual Arrangement

One of the strategic resources that rhetors can call upon in formulating communication is the arrangement of visual elements. Although a good backdrop is a basic for planning strategic speaking situations, the arrangement of visual elements is even more important in non-oral formats. To track these choices, the following dimensions highlight the strategic choices:

These are the dimensions to study.


Framing versus Information

Earlier we differentiated between communication as information and communication as form. It was the latter that provided the resources for the framing power of rhetoric. These two dimensions -- framing and information -- are important in analyzing the strategic choices of visual arrangement.
  1. What information is presented? This question gets you to the heart of selection for inclusion in the visual. The dimensions of arrangements emphasize the different attention given to various bits of information. A photograph, for example, presents particular information.
  2. What information is not presented? Because of the power of the visual, what information to not include is equally strategic. And similarly, placement deemphasizes certain information. For example, just as photographs present information they deemphasize other information they do not present.
  3. How are the dimensions of the visual tied to the strategic frame? Because the dimensions of the visual manage attention and emphasis they work in the service of the frame. A photograph, for example, serves to frame information into a particular story the photograph tells.
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Formats and Visual Arrangement

There are variations in the strategic dimensions of visual arrangement in different communication formats.

Newspapers

Everyday the editorial staff of a newspaper makes decisions about which stories are most important. The newspaper is designed to relay this judgement. Newspaper advertising, while generally beyond editorial control, employs the same principles as news judgement.

Magazines

Some magazines work in ways similar to newspapers. Others, however, reverse the typeface/photo ratio and adopt a format called "photo-journalism." Advertising in magazines exploits the same visual arrangement dimensions as editorial decisions.

Television Advertising

Of course, all the dimensions of strategic choice that we have highlighted govern the power of television advertising. The dimensions of visual arrangement provide a framework for understanding the visual dimensions that separate the power of television from oral speaking situations.

Television News

Television news combines the strategic choices of any speaker with the strategic choices of newspapers. In doing so there are important dimensions for attention.

Type of video Description Example Primary strategic planner Strategic media control
Conduit Pass video/audio through unedited Press conference Rhetor presenting message to select to carry video/audio
Interview Questioner interrogating subject Experts being questioned Shared between questioner and subject Selection of subject; questions to be asked
Story News account constucted by producer &/or reporter Nightly news story Producer/reporter Story to present; all strategic choices
Opinion News media figures speculating on events Sunday talk shows Anchor/moderator & talking head Who to give forum; issues to discuss; how to present position

Although television news often presents their purpose as "to inform" be sure you carefully analyze purpose beyond just informing. Is the story there to promote commercial interests of the station? Does the story promote a particular strategic position on an issue? This does not mean that stories are not there "to inform," but they may be there for other purposes as well.

Internet Web Pages

Web pages have an inherently visual dimension.

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Working through a message

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