Visual Editors

Description

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title = Visual Editors Foundation


caption = The classroom for visual journalism

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header1 = Mission statement: Visual Editors is a public charity that promotes journalism education via online forums, peer-to-peer sharing resources and offline training events.
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header2 = Year incorporated: 2004
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header3 = Executive Director: Robb Montgomery
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header4 = State Registry: Illinois
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header5 = Web site [http://visualeditors.org VisualEditors.org]
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below = More than 1,400 registered members worldwideVisual Editors [* [http://www.visualeditors.org/ About the Visual Editors Foundation] Visual Editors is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity organized for educational purposes] is a U.S. public charity that promotes journalism education via online forums, peer-to-peer sharing resources and offline training events [ [http://www.marketingymedios.com/eandp/departments/newsroom/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003838071 Editor and Publisher] Editor and Publisher: Camp Video Journalism training events offered by Visual Editors non-profit] held at universities and working newsrooms.The 501(c)(3) non-profit was incorporated in 2004 [ [http://www.ojr.org:80/ojr/blog/Technology/767/ Online Journalism Review ] University of Southern California - Annenberg School of Journalism] by Chicago journalist Robb Montgomery and is registered in the State of Illinois.

The group operates [ [http://www.visualeditors.com/ Visual Editors online community tools] ] online forums, blogs and portfolio galleries as a [ [http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=47&aid=91703 Poynter Online ] Poynter: Vizeds is a virtual peer-to-peer classroom] virtual peer to-peer classroom. The group [ [http://www.newspagedesigner.com/links.html News Page Designer] serves a global membership of student and working journalists] who use the charity's resources to study the latest visual journalism, information graphics and newspaper design techniques.

The not-for-profit also offers several blogs from established visual journalists like Charles Apple (U.S.A.) [ [http://www.visualeditors.com/apple Charles Apple blog] ] , Alan Formby-Jackson (U.K.) [ [http://www.visualeditors.com/jackson Alan Formby-Jackson blog] ] , TK Sajeev (India) [ [http://www.visualeditors.com/tksajeev TK Sajeev blog] ] , Alejandro Banuet (Mexico) [ [http://www.visualeditors.com/banuet Alejandro Banuet blog] ] as well as many interactive teaching tools to help high school and college students and teachers study and share state-of-the-art journalism techniques. The site recently migrated from a PHP forums [ [http://annieoakleyofpecos.com/?p=335 Visual Editors upgrades to NING] Visual Editors upgrades the learning potential] style exchange to the NING platform.

Membership

The charity servers more than [http://visualeditors.ning.com/profiles/members/ Visual Editors membership is greater than 1,400 members] 1,400 registered members worldwide and these scholars and journalists World Editors Forum (Paris) [ [http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2005/09/news_designers_flock_to_visual-print.html World Editors Forum (Paris)] ] frequently post and critique each other's portfolio of page design, information graphics and news illustrations. There are thousands of newspaper page designs catalogued in the portfolio section as well as a number of videos and podcast interviews on design-related topics. All of the content is user-generated-content and the effect of this social learning network was the subject of a [https://eidr.wvu.edu/etd/documentdata.eTD?documentid=5883 50-page Master's Thesis] by journalism student Amanda Miller - "Online Communities’ Impact on the Profession of Newspaper Design, Master's Thesis, West Virginia University"

Impact

Members of Visual Editors have testified in forums hosted by the Poynter Institute that the networking impact and learning opportunities of the charity's Web site's have had far-reaching effects for many student and professional journalists. [ [http://www.poynter.org/article_feedback/article_feedback_list.asp?id=91703 Members testify off about Visual Editors in an Poynter Institute article.(Poynter.org)] ]

Two examples cited in the Poynter article:

"'Inspiring
"'Posted by Shweta Gamble 11/5/2005 8:59:42 PM

I learned about vizeds when I started at the Orlando Sentinel last year, and I am so glad. The site has made me grow as a designer! It is the best journalism learning tool. I wish I had had something like this when I was in college!

It is a great way to keep up with design trends and to get feedback. Its also a great way to meet other visual editors and I think it has made the visual journalism community tighter and stronger.

So much is changing in newpaper design, and I think this site is having a huge impact on the design world. Its allowing designers all over to communicate! And I think its important for both professional designers and j-school students to frequent this site.

Go Robb Montgomery! Thanks so much for starting this!

"'I (heart) VizEds
"'Posted by Sara Reeves 11/5/2005 5:51:16 PM

When I graduated from Mizzou in 2003 and started my first job in the newspaper industry, I was immediately aware that I was no longer in a "learning environment." At school I had become accustomed to constant feedback on my work and constantly learning new things. At school I was in a perpetual conversation with other learning designers about the newspaper industry and design. When I left, I was acutely aware of the void.

VizEds has filled that void. In fact, I am learning more from the community at VizEds than I think I ever did in j-school. I feel like I can constantly learn and grow and keep in-step with our changing industry

Focus of scholarly research

Ms. Miller's [ [https://eidr.wvu.edu/etd/documentdata.eTD?documentid=5883] Amanda Miller - "Online Communities’ Impact on the Profession of Newspaper Design, Master's Thesis, West Virginia University"] abstract] abstract explores the role of social networks in expanding learning opportunities for visual journalism and focuses heavily on the impact that Visual Editors has made with visual journalists working in newsrooms around the world.

AbstractThe importance of the Internet to visual journalists is increasing with every technological progression. Recently online communities have formed, creating a commonplace for creative professionals to meet and share visual work. This study focuses on the possible impact of these emerging online communities on the newspaper design profession. Interviews of newspaper designers who participate in online communities specifically focused on the profession unveiled current and important transformations occurring within the newspaper design profession. Additionally, this study expands on both offline and online community theory, giving qualitative insight into future studies which may focus on the Internet’s effects on various professions.

501(c)(3) Non-profit status

In 2004, Visual Editors was granted official IRS recognition of its tax exempt status [ [http://www.scribd.com/doc/6105944/?secret_password=14c1ezjs1oen98gt1645 IRS Letter of Tax-Exempt Status] ] under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The group's federal ID number is 34-2015808.

References

Web sites operated by Visual Editors

* [http://www.visualeditors.com/ Visual Editors Forums and community]
* [http://www.visualeditors.org/ About the Visual Editors Foundation]
* [http://www.campvj.com/ Camp Video Journalism]

External Links

* [https://eidr.wvu.edu/etd/documentdata.eTD?documentid=5883] Amanda Miller - "Online Communities’ Impact on the Profession of Newspaper Design, Master's Thesis, West Virginia University"]
* [http://www.ojr.org:80/ojr/blog/Technology/767/ Online Journalism Review ]
* [http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=47&aid=91703 Poynter Online ]
* [http://www.ojr.org/ojr/blog/Technology/767/ American Journalism review: The evolution of Visual Editors]
* [http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/pages/toolbox/designvisual_journalism/design_sites/ American Press Institute]
* [http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2005/09/news_designers_flock_to_visual-print.html World Editors Forum (Paris)]
* [http://www.newspagedesigner.com/links.html News Page Designer]
* [http://www.poynter.org/article_feedback/article_feedback_list.asp?id=91703 Members sound off about Visual Editors (Poynter.org) ]
* [http://www.marketingymedios.com/eandp/departments/newsroom/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003838071 Editor and Publisher]
* [http://annieoakleyofpecos.com/?p=335 Visual Editors upgrades to NING]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_design News design - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]
* [http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2007/08/digging_deepertraditional_jour.html MediaShift . Digging Deeper: Traditional Journalism Job Cuts Countered by Digital Additions | PBS]