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| Reuters Graphics | |
|---|---|
| Name | Reuters Graphics |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Headquarters | London |
| Parent | Thomson Reuters |
| Type | News graphics and visual journalism |
Reuters Graphics
Reuters Graphics is the visual journalism unit of a major global news agency, producing data-driven graphics, maps, interactive explainers, and illustrations for breaking news and enterprise reporting across print, web, and mobile platforms. It works alongside bureaus and desks in cities such as London, New York City, Washington, D.C., Beijing, and Mumbai to support coverage of events including the Syrian Civil War, Ukraine War, and global COVID-19 pandemic. The team combines skills from disciplines including cartography practiced during the Falklands War coverage, forensic journalism used in the MH17 investigation, and election graphics similar to those seen for the United States presidential election, 2020.
Established in the 2010s within a multinational media conglomerate headquartered in New York City and Toronto, the unit grew out of visual teams that supported bureaus such as Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, and Sydney. Early work paralleled projects by outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian during events including the Arab Spring, Brexit referendum, 2016, and the European migrant crisis. The group expanded through partnerships with organizations such as Factset, IHS Markit, and academic centers like Oxford research labs and Columbia University journalism programs. Leadership and editorial direction have engaged with industry gatherings including panels at SXSW and conferences hosted by the Poynter Institute and Investigative Reporters and Editors.
The team blends roles found at outlets such as BBC News, Al Jazeera, and Associated Press: data journalists with backgrounds linked to Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Stanford University; graphic designers trained at institutes like Royal College of Art and Rhode Island School of Design; cartographers familiar with Ordnance Survey and Esri standards; and developers experienced with stacks used at Google, Microsoft, and GitHub. Collaboration occurs with foreign bureaus in Rome, Moscow, Beijing, and São Paulo, and with investigative teams that previously worked on projects connected to ProPublica, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, and Bellingcat.
Editorially, the unit follows standards comparable to those at Reuters, AP, and Bloomberg desk policies while coordinating with legal teams in London and New York City to navigate libel frameworks like those invoked in cases such as New York Times Co. v. Sullivan precedents. Visual style emphasizes clarity and trustworthiness reminiscent of graphics used by National Geographic, Time (magazine), and The Economist, employing palette choices informed by accessibility guidance from World Health Organization communications work and typography practices from Monotype Imaging. The unit often produces explainers on international subjects such as the Paris Agreement, NATO enlargement, and the Iran nuclear deal framework, balancing diplomatic context tied to institutions like the United Nations and World Bank.
Projects have covered crises and beats that intersect with reporting by BBC, CNN, and Al Jazeera English: detailed mapping and timeline reconstructions of the MH17 shooting down, interactive dashboards of the COVID-19 pandemic data alongside reporting from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization, election trackers for contests including the United States presidential election, 2016 and the Indian general election, 2019, and environmental series addressing events like the Amazon rainforest fires and Australia bushfire season, 2019–20. Investigations have supported collaborations with groups such as the International Criminal Court referenced coverage, and visual explainers have accompanied features on the European Union budget, WTO negotiations, and trade disputes involving China and United States administrations.
Technologies used include stacks and tools popular at organizations like Google (for mapping APIs), Mapbox, and Esri for cartography; libraries from the D3.js community used by newsrooms such as ProPublica; and backend systems influenced by engineering practices at GitHub and Amazon Web Services. Data sourcing leverages public datasets from institutions like the United Nations, World Bank, Eurostat, Office for National Statistics (United Kingdom), U.S. Census Bureau, and election commissions in France, Germany, India, and Brazil. Forensic methods mirror techniques adopted by groups like Bellingcat and academic teams at MIT and University of Oxford for geolocation, satellite imagery analysis from providers such as Maxar Technologies, and cross-referencing with datasets from Interpol and International Maritime Organization.
The unit’s outputs have been acknowledged alongside work by outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post at awards programs hosted by Society for News Design, Malofiej, Royal Statistical Society, and Pulitzer Prize juries in cases where collaborative reporting won prizes. Individual projects have been shortlisted for honors from Data Journalism Awards and recognized by organizations like European Press Prize, Online News Association, and professional groups such as Visual Editors Club.
Coverage and visual explainers have informed audiences and policymakers in capitals such as Brussels, Washington, D.C., Beijing, and New Delhi, cited in policy papers from International Monetary Fund and briefings at European Commission sessions. Reception from media critics and academic reviewers in journals linked to Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, University of Oxford Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, and commentators from Nieman Foundation has compared the unit’s clarity and speed to peers including Bloomberg Visual Data teams and The Financial Times graphics. The work has stimulated debates about sourcing standards invoked in high-profile events such as the Skripal poisoning coverage and transparency practices highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Category:News media visual journalism