Jackson Carter | Advertiser, Researcher, Professor

To tell some news stories correctly, it is sometimes necessary to use more than words. By providing additional ways to understand the story being told, journalists can better convey what they are trying to get across. Because of the Internet and the opportunities that come with it, media professionals now have more options than ever to tell their stories.

Pipeline Protests

Currently, thousands of protestors have been battling for Native American and environmental rights in North Dakota, fighting over the construction of the North Dakota Access Pipeline (NDAP). Stretching over one thousand miles from Mid-North Dakota to its terminus east of St. Louis, the NDAP has been a contentious topic but has only started to garner wide media coverage in recent weeks.

To help readers gain a better understanding of the scope of the pipeline and to show where the protests are located, The New York Times built a map of the entire pipeline, highlighting different flashpoints that pepper the length of the project. The map does an excellent job of showing just how large the project is, which helps readers understand why the pipeline matters so much for both sides in the dispute. By providing context, the NYT helps readers gain a greater understanding of the complete issue, thus creating a more informed public, one reader at a time.