The visualization of public information: Describing the use of narrative infographics by U.S. municipal governments

Abstract

Narrative infographics present information in a visual, easy-to-understand format and are organized such that the information conveys a story. Public administrators are increasingly using narrative infographics to disseminate information, yet research has yet to investigate exactly how this technological form of storytelling is being used. To fill this gap, we use narrative theory to guide our exploration to uncover how U.S. municipal governments are using narrative infographics. We analyzed 322 infographics using visual content analysis, coding each infographic by government function, policy area, usability factor, and narrative elements. Our research shows that narrative infographics are widely used at the municipal level, most notably for informing the public about various issues but more specifically for communicating information about planning, evaluation and risk. Public health and safety were most frequently addressed by municipal government infographics. Furthermore, we discuss implications of this research for public affairs research, education and practice.