Flash improves journalism

Flash is a helpful tool a lot of people can utilize on the internet. I come from a world of visuals. Being a designer, I immediately look for some visual element to any story I read or write, it's just a part of my nature. That's why I like Flash. It gives another layer to journalism by giving a resource to those of us who learn from a visual point-of-view. Being able to use an interactive map can help a person better understand a story and implications on their life. We learn through a variety of ways, and some people are very turned off by a large swath of text. It's like a textbook. People will skip straight over something if it doesn't appeal to them. Flash breaks up the monotony of text and draws a reader in.

But beware of Flash. With the opportunity for visual storytelling, stories can often become convoluted and sensationalized. I feel like people with jazz up a story visually, but that sometimes takes the point of the story out of context. We, as journalists, are obligated to truth (or so Kovach and Rosenstiel say :]). So it's important to do all designing and Flash in the framework of the story itself. Another pitfall of Flash is the tendency to have a graphic overshadow the story itself. Flash is a means to enhance a story, not take away from it.

All in all, Flash proves to be an important tool of journalism if properly applied.