Infographics as a Means of Visualization in the Regional Printed Press

The article examines infographics as a means of visualizing information on the example of Ternopil periodicals. In the conditions of news fragmentary perception by the modern audience, caused by the insane pace of its distribution and consumption, the tendency to visual presentation of data in the media is expressed. One of the effective ways to visualize information is graphics, the purpose of which is to visualize the message content and to help the recipient to better understand it. Quality infographics should be an integral part of modern journalism. However, the implementation of such practices in regional print media remains rather inert. Seven printed periodicals of Ternopil became the research source base: “Vilne Zhyttia+”, “Nova Ternopilska Gazeta”, “Ria+Ternopil”, “Svoboda+Ternopilshchyna”, “Nash Den”, “Nomer Odyn”, “Silskyi Hospodar+Ternopilshchyna” for July-December 2021. Content analysis of regional printed periodicals showed the passivity of the use of graphic information technologies. The most active means of graphics is the newspaper “RIA +” – infographics are used in 73 % of the total number of analyzed numbers. Instead, the newspaper “Silskyi Hospodar+Ternopil Region” did not visualize its materials graphically at all. Among the selected types and varieties of information graphics, all six publications use derived from tables (tables, infographic tables, charts). Infographic stories are used by four out of the six media (32 cases). Rarely are used derived from maps materials (cartograms, maps) – eight cases. The newspaper “RIA +” leads in frequency, variety and originality of the author’s infographic design. The study showed a direct link between the availability, quality, diversity of infographics and the editorial policy of regional print media regarding ways of reality mediatization. Therefore, promising editors who want to expand their audience should work to improve the infographic component of the content