Using Infographics in Economic News

In an era when economic concerns predominate in international news agendas, infographics and other visual communication tools are crucial for making complex financial information understandable to a broad audience. This study adopts a quantitative content analysis approach to examine how two major Arab television channels (Al Arabiya and Al Jazeera) use infographics in their economic news reports. A total of 196 economic infographics were analyzed using eight criteria in presenting the infographics. The results reveal a heavy reliance on animated infographics on both channels, along with a prevalent use of statistical and informational infographic styles. Although the two channels shared many visual standards, statistically significant differences emerged in information density and style of presentation. Al Jazeera preferred low-density, number-based infographics. On the contrary, Al Arabiya used medium-density infographics and relied more heavily on research center sources. Given that television is a linear and time-bound medium, both channels favored simple designs, which is in line with its cognitive limitations as a medium.