visual – Jennifer's reflections 'through the looking glass'

Everyone has been affected and altered from the numerous natural disasters that have befallen our great continent over the years. These devastating events have moulded, even metamorphosed, humanity through shared experiences, trauma and mateship. The aptly titled The bushfire that changed Canberra forever (Burnside et. al., 2023) delves into compassion and courage (and even blame) when faced with a life-changing event.

The digital age has changed the way stories are shared and consumed, and in the newsroom the evolving elements of journalism are in response to the profound impact of accessible information on a range of digital platforms. This vast array of information available online (even through less credible social media sites) has resulted in publishing and subscription changes for news platforms. Information and news articles are becoming more dynamic, visual and interactive, with the intention to captivate audiences who have access to an unprecedented array of content (Centre for Media Transition, 2018). Utilsing this style of news, ABC news recently presented an evocative visual journalism piece in memory of 20 years since the Canberra Bushfires. The producer and authors of The bushfire that changed Canberra forever are experienced and credible Canberra-based journalists, with a range of expertise including digital producing backgrounds and previous media coverage of other natural disasters.

The prominent visual and textual imagery used in the digital literature piece create an emotive, personal and confronting story. Its purpose is to educate, inform and convey a reflection on past events, however the audience is immersed deeply in feelings of devastation, survival and hope as the story unfolds. The reader experience is diversified with the inclusion of visual media including event photos, videos, a scrolling timeline and a digitally recreated map of the affected area. The latter is particularly engaging – as the reader scrolls through the article, the fire spreads across the Australian Capital Territory, revealing its prolific, profound power.

Screenshot of interactive Canberra fires map (Burnside et al., 2023)

The digital news article begins with the typical visual journalism scrolling boldface title and subhead. Scrollytelling is employed to enhance the written content of the story, which allows the reader to navigate fluently and easily through the expressive text and authentic visual images and digital inclusions. Imagery, descriptive language and literary devices such as alliteration and metaphors help portray the sensory and emotive experience of the text. The short sentences build tension as the recount of the day unfolds. A particular strength of note are the personal recounts shared from a range of local residents and industry professionals, which builds attention, connections and relevancy to the story (Zak, 2014). Numerous snapshots of survivors’ quotes are highlighted using a larger, bold typeface, emphasising authority and factuality, whilst memorialising the harrowing nature of the firsthand experiences. Furthermore, being an ACT based event and story, it demonstrates high applicability and correspondence to the ACT schooling context that I teach in.

The bushfire that changed Canberra forever is suitable for a range of audiences, including its intended use in an ACT upper primary school setting, supporting the Australian Curriculum in Year 5 Geography (The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2010 to present-b) and Year 5 and 6 Design and Technologies (ACARA, 2010 to present-a) through study of the impact of extreme weather events and considered design solutions to help mitigate the effects. The exploration of systems, sustainable patterns and acting for a sustainable future is endorsed through the cross-curriculum priority area of Sustainability (ACARA, 2010 to present-c). Additional studies should include learning about First Nation land management practices through resources such as the educational videos by Bush Heritage Australia (2021) and ABC Australia (2018). An additional resource is the informative article History of Australian bushfires: interactive (The Guardian, 2013), which includes interactive graphs and timelines to compare disasters throughout time.

The article is somewhat minimalistic in animations and interactivity for the audience. The multi-sensory experience could be enhanced through the additions of a soundscape to dramatise elements of the story, audio interviews, or pop-ups and interactive illustrations to highlight essential data or add interest. Other artefacts on a similar topic are the interactive journalism articles Firestorm (Henley, 2013) and Black Summer (Day et. al., 2020). Both stories are hard-hitting, dramatised pieces with interviews, video, audio and personal recounts of families and industry leaders. Firestorm adds an extra layer of user functionality and experience by including chapters to navigate through. These articles, however, include language in audio not suitable for the primary school context.

“Preparedness, rather than prevention is now critical for future fires,” ACT Emergency Services Commissioner, Georgina Whelan (as cited in Burnside et. al., 2023).

The enduring feeling from The bushfire that changed Canberra forever is of trepidation and warning for the future of our continent. As the threat of another dry and hot summer comes, and with the experiences of the 2019-2020 Black Summer still raw for many, will foresight, technological developments, fuel management (and for what they are worth, the Royal Commission [Commonwealth of Australia, 2020] and numerous federal and state inquiry reports) provide any alleviation and leniency to the power of fire for our country? The visual journalism article, The bushfire that changed Canberra forever, contributes a stunning and emotive journey into the pressure cooker of mother nature, climate change and the political landscape in Australia.

Screenshot of quote by Georgeina Whelan, ACT Emergency Services Commissioner (Burnside et al., 2023)

References

ABC Australia. [ABC Australia]. (2018, November 3). Indigenous fire methods protect land before and after the Tathra bushfire [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM72NtXxyLs&t=4s. In Watarrka Foundation. (n.d.). Aboriginal fire management: what is cool burning? https://www.watarrkafoundation.org.au/blog/aboriginal-fire-management-what-is-cool-burning

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010 to present-a). Design and Technologies – Years 5 and 6 (Version 9). Australian Curriculum: F-10 Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/learning-areas/design-and-technologies/year-5_year-6

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010 to present-b). HASS F-6 – Year 5 (Version 9). Australian Curriculum: F-10 Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/learning-areas/hass-f-6/year-5

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010 to present-c). Sustainability (Version 9). Australian Curriculum: F-10 Curriculum. https://v9.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/cross-curriculum-priorities/sustainability

Burnside, N. (Writer and Producer), Allen, C., Larkins, N. (Writers). (2023). The bushfire that changed Canberra forever. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-18/act-2003-canberra-fires-20-year-anniversary/101865824

Bush Heritage Australia. [Bush Heritage Australia]. (2021, May 11). Burning the right way [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZHDItzrTQc

Centre for Media Transition. (2018). The Impact of Digital Platforms on News and Journalistic Content. University of Technology Sydney. https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/ACCC+commissioned+report+-+The+impact+of+digital+platforms+on+news+and+journalistic+content,+Centre+for+Media+Transition+(2).pdf

Commonwealth of Australia. (2020, October 28). Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements. https://naturaldisaster.royalcommission.gov.au/publications/html-report

Day, L., & Nicholls, S. (2020). Black Summer. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-03/inside-the-australian-bushfires-crisis/11890458

Henley, J. (2013). Firestorm. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2013/may/26/firestorm-bushfire-dunalley-holmes-family

The Guardian. (2013, December 1). History of Australian bushfires: interactive. https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/interactive/2013/dec/01/history-bushfires-australia-interactive

Zak, P. J. (2014, November 5). Why your brain loves good storytelling. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2014/10/why-your-brain-loves-good-storytelling

Stories entertain, engage, inform and connect us. Children’s literature is a rich and valuable resource for all ages and passions; ‘everyone’s fiction’ more so than just children and young adults. No matter the page length, format or genre – from our classic stories and tales, to the newer popular fiction titles – everyone can pick up a fiction book and become mesmerised by the visuals, have fun with the rhymes, get lost in the settings, and go along for the character journeys.

Prior to this intriguing subject, my teaching background ensured I was fairly confident and aware of the different formats and genres of fiction. Picture books are some of my favourite teaching tools, immersing the audience and building imagination, inference and connections. Going beyond the text by identifying and discussing themes and experiences assists all ages with their meaning making and develops their point of view on a magnitude of topics. Literature allows readers the opportunity to consider perspectives and change their mindset as new information is processed, building comprehension, critical thinking, and creativity (Seifert, 2020).

Trends I have noticed over the last few years in my library position have been the rise of ebooks, subscription based sites, graphic novels, celebrity authored books, and series fiction. Popular fiction movements have seen authors and publishing houses release multiple titles of related characters or stories annually, for example, the series of Pig the Pug (Aaron Blabey) and Macca the Alpaca (Matt Cosgrove) in picture books, or the various novel series written by Anh Do. Celebrities have turned their hand at authorship, with many writing or co-authoring books, usually with some pop culture references such as sport or fantastical humour. Examples include Elyse Perry, Tim Cahill, Andy Lee, and David Walliams. Social satire (toilet humour) is popular with audiences, including the series Captain Underpants (Dav Pilkey) or the Bum Trilogy (Andy Griffiths).

Illustrations and visual images hold power over audience engagement, with the proliferation of graphic novels confirmation of reader influence on publishing. The increase in visual book design and form is notable in every library and bookstore. Graphic novels are of high interest, covering multiple genres and age levels (Short, 2018). The value of these texts is the apparent low density of print for reluctant readers, however a range of reading strategies are required for decoding and navigating the visual conventions of the texts. Graphics novels often explore complex contemporary fiction issues such as the collection by Raina Telgemeier, and some authors and older titles are finding new success in republishing in this form, including The Baby-Sitters Club (Ann M. Martin) and the classic Famous Five (Enid Blyton).

On reflection, there are avenues to explore to increase my knowledge and immersion in children’s literature. These include using a broader range of collection development strategies such as book awards, crowd sourced reviews and patron-driven acquisition. Attending local book launches to meet authors for possible school visits and talks would also be beneficial to my practice. Areas I would like to develop further in my knowledge and usage are digital literature and subscription services. I look forward to learning more throughout this subject and studies.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Dr Seuss

Seifert, C. (2020, March 06). The Case for Reading Fiction. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/03/the-case-for-reading-fiction

Short, K. G. (2018). What’s Trending in Children’s Literature and Why It Matters. Language Arts, 95(5), 287-298.

Tag: visual

Burning for answers

“Preparedness, rather than prevention is now critical for future fires,” ACT Emergency Services Commissioner, Georgina Whelan (as cited in Burnside et. al., 2023).

Children’s Literature